rjijtj^^    .'■     *■(  f 


i 


ili 

PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

BX  6333^.S6^Sy8  1858     ^'  ""  " 
Spurgeon,  C.  H.  1834-1892. 
Spurgeon's  gems 


,7 


^^k^;^^^;^^^  X^,  <M^^^^^::^ 


^ 


SPURGEON'S    GEMS 


SPURGEON'S  GEMS, 


BEING 


BRILLIANT   PASSAGES 


FROM 


THE    DISCOUKSES 


OF  THE 


KEY.    C.   h/sPUKGEO]^ 


KEW   YOEK: 

SHELDON,   BLAKEMAN    &    COMPANY. 

BOSTON:    GOULD    &    LINCOLN. 

RICHMOND:   T.  J.  STARKE. 

1858. 


Ehtkeed  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1858,  by 

SHELDON.   ELAKEMAN    &   CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  for  the  Sonthern  District  of  New  York, 


W.  H.  TiNsoN,  Stereotyper.  Puosky  &  Russell,  Prinieis. 


\ 


PUBLISHEKS'  PEEFACE. 


The  popularity  of  Mr.  Spurgeon^s  sermons  in  this  coun- 
try has  been  equalled  only  by  the  j^opularity  of  the  preacher 
himself  in  his  own  land.  More  than  a  hundred  thousand 
volumes  of  his  writings  have  been  already  circulated  here, 
and  the  demand  for  them  is  constant,  showing  that  they 
have  taken  a  strong  and  abiding  hold  upon  the  public  mind. 
Their  usefulness,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  has  been,  in  a 
great  measure,  commensurate  with  their  popularity. 

The  call  has  been  repeatedly  made  for  a  volume  giving 
the  characteristics  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  style,  revealing  the 
secret  of  his  mighty  power  as  a  preacher  of  truth,  with  the 
peculiarities  of  manner  which  arrest  the  attention,  rouse  the 
sympathies,  excite  the  admiration,  and  impress  the  feelings 
of  his  vast  audiences.  This  cannot  be  done  by  giving 
simply  detached  sentences  from  his  sermons.  Mr.  Spurgeon 
is  not  remarkable  for  terseness,  nor  does  he  deal  in  laconic 
phrases.  He  is  rhetorical,  descriptive,  flowing  and  glowing. 
He  blazes  and  burns  along  the  pathway  of  his  subject,  rising 


Vi  PTJBLISHEKS'    PEEFACE. 


in  flights  of  imagination  and  carrying  his  hearers  along  with 
him  in  earnest,  overwhelming  appeals.  He  is  pungent  in  his 
applications,  strong  in  his  doctrinal  opinions,  and  powerful 
in  his  exhibition  of  the  divine  Word.  Such  a  preacher's 
forte  is  not  to  be  presented  in  single  sentences.  We  have 
therefore  gathered  from  scores  of  his  sermons  many  of  the 
most  striking  passages,  and  set  them  in  these  pages,  without 
regard  to  the  order  of  subject,  or  'their  relations  to  each 
other :  a  series  of  earnest  thoughts  and  graphic  pictures, 
all  of  them  revealing  the  true  greatness  of  the  preacher's 
conceptions,  his  individuality  and  strength.  No  one  can 
read  the  first  page  of  this  volume  without  feeling  that  the 
speaker  is  no  common  man. 

The  publishers  present  this  selection  from  the  pages  of 
Mr.  Spurgeon,  as  a  specimen  of  his  happiest  thoughts,  gems 
from  his  discourses,  w^hich  will  glow  in  the  mind  of  the 
reader,  and  quicken  in  him  a  desire  to  read  and  hear  more 
of  this  remarkable  youthful  preacher  of  the  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ. 


SPURGEON'S    GEMS. 


-*►• 


ALL  my  springs  are  in  thee,  said  David.  If  thou 
hast  air  thy  springs  in  God,  thy  heart  will  be 
full  enough.  K  thou  dost  go  to  the  foot  of  Calvary, 
there  will  thy  heart  be  bathed  in  love  and  gratitude. 
If  thou  dost  frequent  the  vale  of  retirement,  and 
there  talk  with  thy  God,  it  is  there  that  thy  heart 
shall  be  full  of  calm  resolve.  If  thou  goest  out  with 
thy  master  to  tlie  hill  of  Olivet,  and  dost  with  him 
look  down  upon  a  wicked  Jerusalem,  and  weep  over 
it  with  him,  then  will  thy  heart  be  full  of  love  for 
never-dying  souls.  If  thou  dost  continually  draw 
thine  impulse,  thy  life,  the  whole  of  thy  being  from 
the  Holy  Spirit,  without  whom  thou  canst  do  nothing, 
and  if  thou  dost  live  in  close  communion  with  Christy 
there  will  be  no  fear  of  thy  having  a  dry  heart.  He 
who  lives  without  prayer — ^lie  who  lives  with  little 
prayer — ^he  who  seldom  reads  the  Word — he  who  sel- 


8  spukgeon's  gems. 

dom  looks  up  to  heaven  for  a  fresh  influence  from  on 
hio:h — ^he  will  be  the  man  whose  heart  will  become 
dry  and  barren ;  but  he  who  calls  in  secret  on  his 
God — who  spends  much  time  in  holy  retirement — 
who  delights  to  meditate  on  the  words  of  the  Most 
High — whose  soul  is  given  up  to  Christ — who  de- 
lights in  his  fullness,  rejoices  in  his  all-sufficiency, 
prays  for  his  second  coming,  and  delights  in  the 
thought  of  his  glorious  advent — such  a  man,  I  say, 
must  have  an  overflowing  heart ;  and  as  his  heart  is, 
such  will  his  life  be.  It  will  be  a  full  life  ;  it  will  be 
a  life  that  will  speak  from  the  sepulchre,  and  wake 
the  echoes  of  the  future.  "  Keep  thine  heart  with  all 
diligence,"  and  entreat  the  Holy  Spirit  to  keep  it  full ; 
for,  otherwise,  the  issues  of  thy  life  will  be  feeble, 
shallow,  and  suj)erficial ;  and  thou  mayest  as  well  not 
have  lived  at  all. 


I  AM  certain  thou  needest  no  exhortation  to  love 
thyself,  thine  own  case  will  be  seen  to,  thine  own 
comfort  will  be  a  very  primary  theme  of  thine  anx- 
iety. Thou  wilt  line  thine  own  nest  well  with  downy 
feathers,  if  thou  canst.  There  is  no  need  to  exhort 
thee  to  love  thyself.  Thou  wilt  do  that  well  enough. 
Well,  then,  as  much  as  thou  lovest  thyself,  love  thy 
neighbor. 


SPUEGEOn's   GEM8.  9 

A  MAIL'S  force  in  tlie  woncl,  other  things  being 
equal,  is  just  in  the  ratio  of  the  force  and  strength 
of  his  heart.  A  full-hearted  man  is  always  a  power- 
ful man  :  if  he  be  erroneous,  then  he  is  powerful  for 
error ;  if  the  thing  is  in  his  heart,  he  is  sure  to  make 
it  notorious,  even  though  it  may  be  a  downright  false- 
hood. Let  a  man  be  never  so  ignorant,  still  if  his 
heart  be  full  of  love  to  a  cause,  he  becomes  a  power- 
ful man  for  that  object,  because  he  has  heart- 
power,  heart  force.  A  man  may  be  deficient  in  many 
of  the  advantages  of  education,  in  many  of  those 
niceties  which  are  so  much  looked  upon  in  society ; 
but  once  give  him  a  good  strong  heart,  that  beats 
hard,  and  there  is  no  mistake  about  his  power.  Let 
him  have  a  heart  that  is  right  full  up  to  the  brim 
with  an  object,  and  that  man  will  do  the  thing,  or 
else  he  will  die  gloriously  defeated,  and  will  glory  in 
his  defeat.     Heakt  is  power. 


WHEIN"  the  sunlight  of  God's  mercy  rises  upon  our 
necessities,  it  casts  the  shadow  of  prayer  far 
down  upon  the  plain  ;  or,  to  use  another  illustration, 
when  God  piles  up  a  hill  of  mercies,  he  himself  shines 
behind  them,  and  he  casts  on  our  spirits  the  shadow 
of  prayer,  so  that  we  may  rest  certain,  if  we  are  in 
prayer,  our  prayers  are  the  shadows  of  mercy. 

1^ 


10  spfkgeon's  gems. 

OMOTPOTEKCE  may  build  a  tliousand  worlds, 
and  fill  them  with  bounties  ;  Omnij)otence  may 
powder  mountains  into  dust,  and  burn  the  sea,  and 
consume  the  sky,  but  Omnipotence  cannot  do  an  un- 
loving thing  toward  a  believer.  Oh  !  rest  quite  sure. 
Christian,  a  hard  thing,  an  unloving  thing  from  God 
toward  one  of  his  own  people  is  quite  impossible.  He 
is  kind  to  you  when  he  casts  you  into  prison  as  when 
he  takes  you  into  a  palace ;  He  is  as  good  when  he 
sends  famine  into  your  house  as  when  he  fills  your 
barns  with  plenty.  The  only  question  is,  Ai-t  thou 
his  child  ?  K  so,  he  hath  rebuked  thee  in  afi'ection, 
and  there  is  love  in  his  chastisement. 


PRAYEK  is  the  rustling  of  the  wings  of  the  angels 
that  are  on  their  way  bringing  us  the  boons  of 
heaven.  Have  you  heard  prayer  in  your  heart  ?  You 
shall  see  the  angel  in  your  house.  When  the  cha- 
riots that  bring  us  blessings  do  rumble,  their  wheels 
do  sound  with  prayer.  We  hear  the  prayer  in  our 
own  spirits,  and  that  prayer  becomes  the  token  of  the 
coming  blessings.  Even  as  the  cloud  foreshadoweth 
rain,  so  prayer  foreshadoweth  the  blessing ;  even  as 
the  green  blade  is  the  beginning  of  the  harvest,  so  is 
prayer  the  prophecy  of  the  blessing  that  is  about  to 
come. 


spubgeon's  gems.  11 

You  have  seen  the  great  reservoirs  provided  by 
our  water  companies,  in  which,  the  water  which 
is  to  supply  hundreds  of  streets  and  thousands  of 
houses  is  kept.  IN^ow,  the  heart  is  just  the  reservoir 
of  man,  and  our  life  is  allowed  to  flow  in  its  proper 
season.  That  life  may  flow  through  different  pipes — 
the  mouth,  the  hand,  the  eye ;  but  still  all  the  issues 
of  hand,  of  eye,  of  lip,  derive  their  source  from  the 
great  fountain  and  central  reservoir,  the  heart ;  and 
hence  there  is  no  difficulty  in  showing  the  great 
necessity  that  exists  for  keeping  this  reservoir,  the 
heart,  in  a  proper  state  and  condition,  since  otherwise 
that  which  flows  through  the  pipes  must  be  tainted 
and  corrupt. 

«  9-9 

THERE  is  not  a  spider  hanging  on  the  king's  wall 
but  hath  its  errand ;  there  is  not  a  nettle  that 
groweth  in  the  corner  of  the  churchyard  but  hath  its 
purpose  ;  there  is  not  a  single  insect  fluttering  in  the 
breeze  but  accomj)lisheth  some  divine  decree ;  and  I 
will  never  have  it  that  God  created  any  man,  espe- 
cially any  Christian  man,  to  be  a  blank,  and  to  be  a 
nothing.  He  made  you  for  an  end.  Find  out  what 
that  end  is ;  find  out  your  niche,  and  fill  it.  If  it 
be  ever  so  little,  if  it  is  only  to  be  a  hewer  of  wood 
and  drawer  of  water,  do  something  in  this  great 
battle  for  God  and  truth. 


12  sptirgeon's  gems. 

SUPPOSE  you  see  a  lake,  and  there  are  tTventy  or 
thirty  streamlets  running  from  it :  why,  there 
will  not  be  one  strong  river  in  the  whole  country ; 
there  will  be  a  number  of  little  brooks  which  will 
be  dried  up  in  the  summer,  and  will  be  temporary 
torrents  in  the  winter.  They  will  every  one  of  them 
be  useless  for  any  great  purpose,  because  there  is 
not  water  enough  in  the  lake  to  feed  more  than  one 
great  stream.  ISTow,  a  man's  heart  has  only  enough 
life  in  it  to  pursue  one  object  fully.  Ye  must  not 
give  half  your  love  to  Christ,  and  the  other  half  to 
the  world.  'No  man  can  serve  God  and  mammon, 
because  there  is  not  enough  life  in  the  heart  to  serve 

the  two. 

— #-©-# — 

HOW  easy  it  is  for  you  and  I  to  fly  up !  How 
hard  to  keep  down  !  That  demon  of  pride  was 
born  with  us,  and  it  will  not  die  one  hour  before  us. 
It  is  so  woven  into  the  very  warp  and  woof  of  our 
nature,  that  till  we  are  wrapped  in  our  winding-sheets 
we  shall  never  hear  the  last  of  it. 


AISTY  man  who  trusts  so  much  as  a  single  hair's 
breadth  to  his  works,  is  a  lost  soul.  He  who 
trusts  to  the  least  atom  of  works,  though  it  be  so  small 
that  he  himself  cannot  discern  it,  will  be  lost. 


sptjkgeon's  gems.  13 

KEEP  not  back  part  of  the  price.  Make  a  full 
surrender  of  every  mption  of  thy  heart;  labor 
to  have  but  one  object,  and  one^aim.  And  for  this 
purpose  give  God  the  kee^^ing  of  thine  heart.  Cry  out 
for  more  of  the  divine  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
that  so  when  thy  sonl  is  preserved  and  protected  by 
him,  it  may  be  directed  into  one  channel,  and  one 
only,  that  thy  life  may  run  deep  and  pm-e,  and  clear 
and  peaceful ;  its  only  banks  being  God's  will,  its 
only  channel  the  love  of  Christ  and  a  desire  to  please 

him. 

•-♦-« — 

THEEE  never  was  a  saint  yet,  that  grew  proud  of 
his  fine  feathers,  but  what  the  Lord  plucked 
them  out  by  and  by.  There  never  yet  was  an  angel 
that  had  pride  in  his  heart,  but  he  lost  his  wings,  and 
fell  into  Gehenna,  as  Satan  and  those  fallen  angels 
did ;  and  there  shall  never  be  a  saint  who  indulges 
self-conceit,  and  pride,  and  self-confidence,  but  the 
Lord  will  spoil  his  glories,  and  trample  his  honors  in 
the  mire,  and  make  him  cry  out  yet  again,  "  Lord 
have  mercy  upon  me,"  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints, 
and  the  "  very  chief  of  sinners." 


MElSr  who  have  no  brains  are  always  great  men ; 
but  those  who   think,  must  think  their  pride 
down,  if  God  is  with  them  in  their  thinking. 


14  spuegeon's  gems. 


'VTEYER,  never  neglect  the  word  of  God ;  that  will 
-~\  make  thy  heart  rich  with  precept,  rich  with 
understanding;  and  then  thy  conversation,  when  it 
flows  from  thy  mouth,  will  be  like  thine  heart,  rich, 
unctions,  and  savoury.  Make  thy  heart  full  of  rich, 
generous  love,  and  then  the  stream  that  flows  from 
thy  hand  will  be  just  as  rich  and  generous  as  thine 
heart.  Above  all,  get  Jesus  to  live  in  thine  heart, 
and  then  out  of  thy  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living 
water,  more  rich,  more  satisfying  than  the  water  of 
the  well  of  Sychar  of  which  Jacob  drank.  Oh  !  go, 
Christian,  to  the  great  mine  of  riches,  and  cry  unto 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  make  thy  heart  rich  unto  salvation. 
So  shall  thy  life  and  conversation  be  a  boon  to  thy 
fellows ;  and  when  they  see  thee,  thy  face  shall  be  as 
the  angel  of  God.  Thou  shalt  wash  thy  feet  in  but- 
ter and  thy  steps  in  oil :  they  that  sit  in  the  gate  shall 
rise  up  when  they  see  thee,  and  men  shall  do  thee 
reverence. 


GOD  hath  said  it ;  men  must  serve  him — they 
must  serve  him  in  his  own  way,  and.  they 
must  serve  him  in  his  own  strength  too,  or  he 
will  never  accept  their  service.  That  which  man 
doth,  unaided  by  divine  strength,  God  never  can 
accept.  There  must  be  a  consciousness  of  weakness 
before  there  can  be  any  victory. 


spurgeon's  gems.  15 

LIFE'  is  but  death's  vestibnle ;  and  our  pilgrimage 
on  earth  is  but  a  journey  to  the  grave.  The 
pulse  that  preserves  our  being  beats  our  death 
march,  and  the  blood  which  circulates  our  life  is 
floating  it  onward  to  the  deeps  of  death.  To-day  we 
see  our  friends  in  health,  to-morrow  we  hear  of  their 
decease.  We  clasped  the  hand  of  the  strong  man 
but  yesterday,  and  to-day  we  close  his  eyes.  We 
rode  in  the  chariot  of  comfort  but  an  hour  ago,  and 
in  a  few  more  hours  the  last  black  chariot  must 
convey  us  to  the  home  of  all  living.  Oh,  how 
closely  allied  is  death  to  life !  The  lamb  that  sporteth 
in  the  field  must  soon  feel  the  knife.  The  ox  that 
loweth  in  the  pasture  is  fattening  for  the  slaughter. 
Trees  do  but  grow  that  they  may  be  felled.  Yea, 
and  greater  things  than  these  feel  death.  Empires 
rise  and  flourish  ;  they  flourish  but  to  decay,  they 
rise  to  fall.  How  often  do  we  take  up  the  volume 
of  history,  and  read  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  empires. 
We  hear  of  the  coronation  and  the  death  of  kings. 
Death  is  the  black  servant  who  rides  behind  the 
chariot  of  life.  See  life !  and  death  is  close  behind 
it.  Death  reacheth  far  throughout  this  world,  and 
hath  stamped  all  terrestrial  things  with  the  broad 
arrow  of  the  grave.  Stars  die  mayhap  ;  it  is  said 
that  conflagrations  have  been  seen  far  ofl"  in  the 
distant    ether,   and    astronomers  have  marked   tlie 


16  spfegeon's  GEMS- 

funerals  ol  worlds — the  decay  of  tliose  miglity  orbs 
tliat  we  had  imagined  set  for  ever  in  sockets  of 
silver,  to  glisten  as  the  lamps  of  eternity.  But, 
blessed  be  God,  there  is  one  place  where  death  is 
not  life's  brother — where  life  reigns  alone  ;  "  to  live" 
is  not  the  first  syllable  which  is  to  be  followed  by  the 
next,  "  to  die."  There  is  a  land  where  death-knells 
are  never  tolled,  where  winding-sheets  are  never 
woven,  where  graves  are  never  dug.  Blest  land 
beyond  the  skies !     To  reach  it,  we  must  die. 


M 


Y  God !  when  I  survey  the  boundless  fields  of 
ether,  and  see  those  pondrous  orbs  rolling 
therein — when  I  consider  how  vast  are  thy  dominions 
— so  wide  that  an  angel's  wing  might  flap  to  all 
eternity  and  never  reach  a  boundary — I  marvel  that 
thou  shouldst  look  on  insects  so  obscure  as  man.  I 
have  taken  to  myself  the  microscope  and  seen  the 
ephemera  upon  the  -leaf,  and  I  have  called  him 
small.  I  will  not  call  him  so  again  :  compared  with 
me,  he  is  great,  if  I  put  myself  in  comparison  with 
God.  I  am  so  little  that  I  shrink  into  nothingness 
when  I  behold  the  almightiness  of  Jehovah — so  little 
that  the  difference  between  the  animalcules  and  man 
dwindles  into  nothing,  when  compared  with  the  infi- 
nite chasm  between  God  and  man. 


spukgeon's  gems.  17 

ALAS,  alas,  that  the  good  should  die !  alas,  that 
the  righteous  should  fall !  Death,  why  dost  thou 
not  hew  the  deadly  upas  ?  Why  dost  thou  not  mow 
the  hemlock  ?  Why  dost  thou  touch  the  tree  beneath 
whose  spreading  branches  weariness  hath  rest  ?  Why 
dost  thou  touch  the  flower  whose  perfume  hath  made 
glad  the  earth  ?  Death,  why  dost  thou  snatch  away 
the  excellent  of  the  earth,  in  whom  is  all  our  delight  ? 
K  thou  wouldest  use  thine  axe,  use  it  upon  the  cum- 
ber-grounds, the  trees  that  draw  nourishment,  but 
afford  no  fruit ;  thou  mightest  be  thanked  then.  But 
why  wilt  thou  cut  down  the  cedars,  why  wilt  thou  fell 
the  goodly  trees  of  Lebanon  ?  O  Death,  why  dost 
thou  not  spare  the  church  ?  Why  must  the  pulpit  be 
hung  in  black ;  why  must  the  missionary  station  be 
filled  with  weeping  ?  Why  must  the  pious  family  lose 
its  priest,  and  the  house  its  head  ?  O  Death,  what 
art  thou  at  ?  touch  not  earth's  holy  things ;  thy  hands 
are  not  fit  to  pollute  the  Israel  of  God.  Why  dost 
thou  put  thy  hand  upon  the  hearts  of  the  elect  ?  Oh, 
stay  thou,  stay  thou  ;  spare  the  righteous.  Death,  and 
take  the  bad !  But  no,  it  must  not  be ;  death  comes 
and  smiles  the  goodliest  of  us  all ;  the  most  generous, 
the  most  prayerful,  the  most  holy,  the  most  devoted 
must  die.  Weep,  weep,  weep,  O  church,  for  thou 
hast  lost  thy  martyrs  ;  weep,  O  church,  for  thou  hast 
lost  thy  confessors,  thy  holy  men  are  fallen.     Howl, 


18  spuegeon's  gems. 

fir  tree,  for  the  cedar  hatli  fallen,  the  godly  fail,  and 
the  righteous  are  cnt  off.  But  stay  awhile ;  I  hear 
another  voice.  Say  ye  thus  unto  the  daughter  of 
Judah,  spare  thy  weeping.  Say  ye  thus  unto  the 
Lord's  flock.  Cease,  cease  thy  sorrow ;  thy  martyrs 
are  dead,  but  they  are  glorified ;  thy  ministers  are 
gone,  but  they  have  ascended  up  to  thy  Father  and 
to  their  Father ;  thy  brethren  are  buried  in  the  grave, 
but  the  archangel's  trumpet  shall  awake  them,  and 
their  spirits  are  ever  now  with  God. 


DEATH  was  the  devil's  chief  intrenchment ;  Christ 
bearded  the  lion  in  his  den,  and  fought  him  in 
his  own  territory ;  and  when  he  took  death  from 
him,  and  dismantled  that  once  impregnable  fortress, 
he  took  away  from  him,  not  only  that,  but  every 
other  advantage  that  he  had  over  the  saint.  And 
now  Satan  is  a  conquered  foe,  not  only  in  the  hour 
of  death,  but  in  every  other  hour  and  in  every  other 
place.  He  is  an  enemy,  both  cruel  and  mighty  ;  but 
he  is  a  foe  who  quakes  and  quails  when  a  Christian 
gets  into  the  lists  with  him ;  for  he  knows  that 
though  the  fight  may  waver  for  a  little  while  in  the 
scale,  the  balance  of  victory  must  fall  on  the  side  of 
the  saint,  because  Christ  by  his  death  destroyed  the 
devil's  power. 


SPURGEON  S   GEMS.  19 

SEE  that  man  drowning,  there — there  is  another  in 
the  water  too,  I  see.  He  in  the  distance  thinks 
he  can  swim  :  a  plank  is  thrown  to  him  ;  he  believes 
himself  to  be  in  no  danger  of  sinking.  Well,  he 
clutches  the  plank  very  leisurely,  and  does  not  seem 
to  grasp  it  firmly.  But  this  j)Oor  creature  here,  he 
knows  he  cannot  swim,  he  feels  that  he  must  soon 
sink,  ^ow  put  the  means  of  escape  near  him,  how 
desperately  he  clutches  it ;  how  he  seems  as  if  he 
would  di'ive  his  fingers  through  the  plank !  He 
clutches  it  for  life  or  death ;  that  is  his  all,  for  he 
must  perish  if  he  is  not  saved  by  that.  ITow,  in  this 
case,  he  that  fears  the  most  believes  the  most ;  and  I  do 
think  it  is  so  sometimes  with  poor  desponding  spirits. 


HEUE  we  see  through  a  glass  darkly,  but  there 
face  to  face.  Tliere,  what  "  eye  hath  not  seen 
nor  ear  heard  "  shall  be  fully  manifest  to  us.  There, 
riddles  shall  be  unravelled,  mysteries  made  plain, 
dark  texts  enlightened,  hard  providences  made  to 
appear  wise.  The  meanest  soul  in  heaven  knows 
more  of  God  than  the  greatest  saint  on  earth.  The 
greatest  saint  on  earth  may  have  it  said  of  him, 
"  Nevertheless  he  that  is  least  in  the  kin^rdom  of 
heaven  is  greater  than  he."  J^ot  our  mightiest 
divines   understand    so    much   of   theology   as    the 


20  spurgeon's  gems. 

lambs  of  the  flock  of  glorj.  "Not  the  greatest 
master-minds  of  earth  understand  the  millionth  part 
of  the  mightj  meanings  which  have  been  discovered 
by  sonls  emancipated  from  clay.  Yes.  "  To  die  is 
gain."  Take  away,  take  away  that  hearse,  remove 
that  shroud;  come,  put  white  plumes  upon  the 
horses'  heads,  and  let  gilded  trappings  hang  around 
them.  There,  take  away  that  fife,  that  shrill  sound- 
ing music  of  the  death  march.  Lend  me  the 
trumpet  and  the  drum.  O  hallelujah,  hallelujah, 
hallelujah ;  why  weep  we  the  saints  to  heaven ;  why 
need  we  lament  ?  They  are  not  dead,  they  are  gone 
before.  Stop,  stop  that  mourning,  refrain  thy  tears, 
clap  your  hands,  clap  your  hands. 

"  They  are  supremely  blest, 

Have  done  with  care  and  sin  and  woe, 
And  with  their  Saviour  rest." 

What !  weep  !  weep !  for  heads  that  are  crowned 
with  coronals  of  heaven  ?  Weep,  weep  for  hands 
that  grasp  the  harps  of  gold  ?  What,  weep  for  eyes 
that  see  the  Redeemer  ?  What,  weep  for  hearts  that 
are  washed  from  sin,  and  are  throbbing  with  eternal 
bliss  ?  What,  weep  for  men  that  are  in  the  Saviour's 
bosom  ?  No ;  weep  for  yourselves,  that  you  are 
here.  Weep  that  the  mandate  has  not  come  which 
bids  you  to  die.     Weep  that  you  must  tarry.     But 


spurgeon's  gems.  21 

not  for  them.  I  see  them  turning  back  on  you 
with  loving  wonder,  and  thej  exclaim,  "Why 
weepest  thou?"  What,  weep  for  poverty  that  it 
is  clothed  in  riches  ?  What,  weep  for  sickness,  that 
it  hath  inherited  eternal  health?  What,  weep  for 
shame,  that  it  is  glorified ;  and  weep  for  sinful  mor- 
tality, that  it  hath  become  immaculate  ?  Oh,  weep 
not,  but  rejoice.  "  K  ye  knew  what  it  was  that  I 
have  said  unto  you,  and  whither  I  have  gone,  ye 
would  rejoice  with  a  joy  that  no  man  should  take 

from  you." 

•  •  • 

WHEIS"  the  Lord  Jesus  came  down  to  earth,  Satan 
knew  his  errand.  He  knew  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  when  he  saw  him  an 
infant  in  the  manger,  he  thought  if  he  could  kill 
him  and  get  him  in  the  bonds  of  death,  what  a  fine 
thing  it  would  be !  So  he  stirred  up  the  spirit  of 
Herod  to  slay  him ;  but  Herod  missed  his  mark. 
And  many  gf  time  did  Satan  strive  to  put  the  per- 
sonal existence  of  Christ  in  danger,  so  that  he  might 
get  Christ  to  die.  Poor  fool  as  he  was,  he  did. not 
know  that  when  Christ  died  he  would  bruise  the 
devil's  head.  Once,  you  remember,  when  Christ 
was  in  the  synagogue,  the  devil  stirred  up  the 
people,  and  made  them  angry ;  and  he  thought, 
"  Oh !  what  a  glorious  thing  it  would  be  if  I  could 


22  SPURaEON's   GEMS. 

kill  tMs  man ;  tlien  there  would  be  an  end  of  him, 
and  I  should  reign  supreme  forever."  So  he  got  the 
people  to  take  him  to  the  brow  of  a  hill,  and  he 
gloated  over  the  thought  that  now  surely  he  would 
be  cast  down  headlong.  But  Christ  escaped.  He 
tried  to  starve  him,  he  tried  to  drown  him ;  he  was 
in  the  desert  without  food,  and  he  was  on  the  sea  in 
a  storm ;  but  there  was  no  starving  or  drowning 
him,  and  Satan  no  doubt  panted  for  his  blood,  and 
longed  that  he  should  die.  At  last  the  day  arrived ; 
it  was  telegraphed  to  the  court  of  hell  that  at  last 
Christ  would  die.  They  rung  their  bells  with  hellish 
mirth  and  joy.  "He  will  die  now,"  said  he; 
"  Judas  has  taken  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver.  Let 
those  Scribes  and  Pharisees  get  him,  they  will  no 
more  let  him  go  than  the  spider  will  a  poor  unfortu- 
nate fly.  He  is  safe  enough  now."  And  the  devil 
laughed  for  very  glee,  when  he  saw  the  Saviour 
stand  before  Pilate's  bar.  And  when  it  was  said, 
"  Let  him  be  crucified,"  then  his  joy  Scarce  knew 
bounds,  except  that  bound  which  his  own  misery 
must  ever  set  to  it.  As  far  as  he  could,  he  revelled 
in  what  was  to  him  a  delightful  thought,  that  the 
Lord  of  glory  was  about  to  die.  In  death,  as  Christ 
was  seen  of  angels,  he  was  seen  of  devils  too ;  and 
that  dreary  march  from  Pilate's  palace  to  the  cross, 
was  one  which  devils  saw  with  extraordinory  inte- 


SPURGEON  8   GEMS.  23 

rest.  And  when  they  saw  him  on  the  cross,  there 
stood  the  exulting  fiend,  smiling  to  himself.  "  Ah  !  I 
have  the  King  of  Glory  now  in  my  dominions ;  I 
have  the  power  of  death,  and  I  have  the  power  over 
the  Lord  Jesus."  He  exerted  that  power,  till  the 
Lord  Jesus  had  to  cry  out  in  bitter  anguish,  "  My 
God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?"  But 
ah !  how  short-lived  was  hellish  victory !  How  brief 
was  the  Satanic  triumph !  He  died ;  and  "  It  is 
finished  !"  shook  the  gates  of  hell.  Down  from  the 
cross  the  conqueror  leaped,  pursued  the  fiend  with 
thunder-bolts  of  wrath ;  swift  to  the  shades  of  hell 
the  fiend  did  fly,  and  swift  descending  went  the  con- 
queror after  him ;  and  we  may  conceive  him 
exclaiming — 

"  Traitor !  this  bolt  shall  find  and  pierce  thee  through, 
Though  under  hell's  profoundest  wave  thou  div'st, 
To  find  a  sheltering  grave." 

And  seize  him  he  did — chained  him  to  his  chariot- 
wheel  ;  dragged  him  up  the  steeps  of  glory ;  angels 
shouting  all  the  while,  "  He  hath  led  captivity  cap- 
tive, and  received  gifts  for  men."  Now,  devil,  thou 
saidst  thou  wouldst  overcome  me,  when  I  came  to 
die.  Satan,  I  defy  thee,  and  laugh  thee  to  scorn ! 
My  master  overcame  thee,  and  I  shall  overcome  thee 
yet.     You  say  you  will  overcome  the  saint,  do  you  ? 


24  sptjrgeon's  gems. 

You  could  not  overcome  the  saint's  Master,  and  you 
will  not  overcome  liim.  You  once  tliought  you  had 
conquered  Jesus  :  you  were  bitterly  deceived.  Ah  ! 
Satan,  thou  mayest  think  thou  shalt  overcome  the 
little  faith  and  the  faint  heart;  but  thou  art  won- 
drously  mistaken-— for  we  shall  assuredly  tread  Satan 
under  our  feet  shortly ;  and  even  in  our  last  extre- 
mity, with  fearful  odds  against  us,  we  shall  be 
"  more  than  conquerors  through  him  that  loved  us." 


THE  river  of  God  is  full  of  water ;  but  there  is  not 
one  drop  of  it  that  takes  its  rise  in  earthly 
springs.  God  will  have  no  strength  used  in  his  own 
battles  but  the  strength  which  he  himself  imparts ; 
and  I  would  not  have  you  that  are  now  distressed  in 
the  least  discouraged  by  it.  Your  emptiness  is  but 
the  preparation  for  your  being  filled ;  and  your 
casting  down  is  but  the  making  ready  for  your 
lifting  up. 

DEAL  gently,  deal  kindly,  deal  lovingly,  and  there 
is  not  a  wolf  in  human  shape  but  will  be  melted 
by  kindness;  and  there  is  not  a  tiger  in  woman's 
form  but  will  break  down  and  sue  for  pardon,  if  God 
should  bless  the  love  that  is  brought  to  bear  upon  her 
by  her  friend. 


spukgeon's  gems.  25 

IF  the  devil  comes  to  mj  door  with  his  horns  visi- 
ble, I  will  never  let  him  in ;  but  if  he  comes  with 
his  hat  on  as  a  respectable  gentleman,  he  is  at  once 
admitted.  The  metaphor  may  be  very  quaint,  but  it 
is  quite  true.  Many  a  man  has  taken  in  an  evil 
thing,  because  it  has  been  varnished  and  glossed 
over,  and  not  a]3parently  an  evil ;  and  he  has  thought 
in  his  heart,  there  is  not  much  harm  in  it ;  so  he  has 
let  in  the  little  thing,  and  it  has  been  like  the  break- 
ing forth  of  water — the  first  drop  has  brought  after  it 
a  torrent.    The  beginning  has  been  but  the  beginning 

of  a  fearful  end. 

— *-•-• — 

IF  we  could  see  things  as  they  are — if  we  were  not 
deceived  by  the  masquerade  of  this  poor  life — if 
we  were  not  so  easily  taken  in  by  the  masks  and 
dresses  of  those  who  act  in  this  great  drama,  be  it 
comedy  or  tragedy — if  we  could  but  see  what  the 
men  are  behind  the  scenes,  penetrate  their  hearts, 
watch  the  inner  motions,  and  discern  their  secret  feel- 
ings, we  should  find  but  few  who  could  bear  the  name 

of  "  blessed." 

*  •  • — 

TOUCH  not  the  persons  of  men ;  but  smite  their 
sin  with  a  stout  heart  and  with  strong  arm.  Slay 
both  the  little  ones  and  the  great;  let  nothing  be 
spared  that  is  against  God  and  his  truth  ;  but  we  have 
no  war  with  the  persons  of  poor  mistaken  men. 

2 


26  spurgeon's  gems. 

IF  we  had  the  blessings  without  asking  fof  them, 
we  should  think  them  common  things ;  but  prayer 
makes  the  common  pebbles  of  God's  temporal  boun- 
ties more  precious  than  diamonds ;  and  in  spiritual 
prayer,  cuts  the  diamond,  and  makes  it  glisten  more. 
After  a  long  chase,  the  hunter  prizes  the  animal,  be- 
cause he  has  set  his  heart  upon  it,  and  is  determined 
to  have  it ;  and  yet  more  truly,  after  a  long  hunger, 
he  that  eateth  findeth  more  relish  in  his  food.  So 
prayer  doth  sweeten  the  mercy.  Prayer  teaches  us 
its  preciousness.  It  is  the  reading  over  of  the  bill, 
the  schedule,  the  account,  before  the  estate  and  the 
properties  are  themselves  transferred.  We  know  the 
value  of  the  purchase  by  reading  over  the  will  of  it 
in  prayer,  and  when  we  have  groaned  out  our  own 
expression  of  its  peerless  price,  then  it  is  that  God 
bestows  the  benediction  ujDon  us.  Prayer  goes  before 
the  blessing,  because  it  shows  us  the  value  of  it. 


¥E  hear,  sometimes,  a  great  deal  said  about  pos- 
sessing a  full  assurance  of  being  a. child  of 
God ;  and  then,  every  now  and  then,  we  hear  of  a 
doubt,  a  hope.  As  good  Joseph  Irons  used  to  say, 
"  They  keep  hope,  hope,  hoping — ^hop,  hop,  hopping 
— all  their  lives,  because  they  can't  walk."  Little 
faith  is  always  lame. 


spitrgeon's  gems.  27 

IF  there  were  sucli  a  thing  as  national  salvation ;  if 
it  could  be  possible  that  we  could  be  saved  in 
the  gross  and  in  the  bulk,  that  so,  like  the  sheaves  of 
corn,  the  few  weeds  that  may  grow  with  the  stubble, 
would  be  gathered  in  for  the  sake  of  the  wdieat,  then, 
indeed,  it  might  not  be  so  foolish  for  us  to  neglect 
our  own  personal  interests;  but  if  the  sheep  must, 
every  one  of  them,  pass  under  the  hand  of  him  that 
telleth  them,  if  every  man  must  stand  in  his  own  per- 
son before  God,  to  be  tried  for  his  own  acts — ^by 
everything  that  is  rational,  by  everything  that  con- 
science would  dictate,  and  self-interest  would  com- 
mand, let  us  each  of  us  look  to  our  own  selves,  that 
we  be  not  deceived,  and  that  we  find  not  ourselves, 
at  last,  miserably  cast  away. 


THE  great  King,  immortal,  invisible,  the  Divine 
person,  called  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Holy  Spirit : 
it  is  he  that  quickens  the  soul,  or  else  it  would  lie 
dead  for  ever ;  it  is  he  that  makes  it  tender,  or  else  it 
would  never  feel ;  it  is  he  that  imparts  efficacy  to  the 
"Word  preached,  or  else  it  could  never  reach  further 
than  the  ear ;  it  is  he  who  breaks  the  heart,  it  is  he 
who  makes  it  whole ;  he,  from  first  to  last,  is  the 
great  worker  of  Salvation  in  us,  just  as  Jesus  Christ 
was  the  author  of  Salvation  for  us. 


28  spurgeon's  gems. 

AS  sure  as  God  is  God,  if  you  this  day  are  seeking 
liim  ariglit,  through  Christ,  the  day  shall  come 
when  the  kiss  of  full  assurance  shall  be  on  your  lip, 
when  the  arms  of  sovereign  love  shall  embrace  you, 
and  you  shall  know  it  to  be  so.  Thou  mayest  have 
despised  him,  but  thou  shalt  know  him  yet  to  be  thy 
Father  and  thy  friend.  Thou  mayest  have  scoffed  his 
name ;  thou  shalt  one  day  come  to  rejoice  in  it  as 
better  than  pure  gold.  Thou  mayest  have  broken  his 
Sabbaths  and  despised  his  Word  ;  the  day  is  coming 
when  the  Sabbath  shall  be  thy  delight,  and  his  Word 
thy  treasure.  Yes,  marvel  not ;  thou  mayest  have 
plunged  into  the  kennel  of  sin  and  made  thy  clothes 
black  with  iniquity ;  but  thou  shalt  one  day  stand 
before  his  throne  white  as  the  angels  be ;  and  that 
tongue  that  once  cursed  him  shall  yet  sing  his  praise. 
K  thou  be  a  real  seeker,  the  hands  that  have  been 
stained  with  lust  shall  one  day  grasp  the  harp  of  gold, 
and  the  head  that  has  plotted  against  the  Most  High 
shall  yet  be  girt  with  gold.  Seemeth  it  not  a  strange 
thing  that  God  should  do  so  much  for  sinners  ?  But 
strange  though  it  seem,  it  shall  be  strangely  true. 


¥E  do  not  care  about  50,000  aphorisms,  or  syllo- 
gisms, or  anything  else.     God's  word  against 
man's  any  day. 


SPT7EGE0N  S   GEMS.  29 

OUR  God  is  no  god  who  sits  in  one  perpetual  dream  ; 
nor  dotli  lie  clothe  Himself  in  such  thick  dark- 
ness that  he  cannot  see ;  he  is  not  like  Baal  who 
heareth  not.  True,  he  may  not  regard  battles ;  he 
cares  not  for  the  pomp  and  pageantry  of  kings ;  he 
listens  not  to  the  swell  of  martial  music  ;  he  regards 
not  the  triumph  and  the  pride  of  man ;  but  whenever 
there  is  a  heart  big  with  sorrow,  wherever  there  is 
an  eye  suffused  wdth  tears,  wherever  there  is  a  lij) 
quivering  with  agony,  wherever  there  is  a  deep  groan, 
or  a  penitential  sigh,  the  ear  of  Jehovah  is  wide 
open ;  he  marks  it  down  in  the  registry  of  his  me- 
mory ;  he  puts  our  prayers,  like  rose  leaves,  between 
the  pages  of  his  book  of  remembrance,  and  when  the 
volume  is  opened  at  last,  there  shall  be  a  precious 
fragrance  springing  up  therefrom. 


•  •  • 


GOD'S  good  pleasure  is,  that  this  world  shall  one 
day  be  totally  redeemed  from  sin ;  God's  good 
pleasure  is,  that  this  poor  planet,  so  long  swathed  in 
darkness,  shall  soon  shine  out  in  brightness,  like  a 
new-born  sun.  Christ's  death  hath  done  it.  The 
stream  that  flowed  from  his  side  on  Calvary  shall 
cleanse  the  world  from  all  its  blackness.  That  hour 
of  mid-day  darkness  was  the  rising  of  a  new  sun  of 
righteousness,  which  shall  never  cease  to  shine  upon 


30  spurgeon's  gems. 

the  earth.  Yes,  the  hour  is  coming  when  swords  and 
spears  shall  be  forgotten  things,  when  the  harness  of 
war  and  the  pageantry  of  pomp  shall  all  be  laid  aside 
for  the  food  of  the  worm  or  the  contemplation  of 
the  curions.  The  hour  approacheth  when  old  Kome 
shall  shake  npon  her  seven  hills,  when  Mohammed's 
crescent  shall  wane  to  wax  no  more,  when  all  the 
gods  of  the  heathens  shall  lose  their  thrones  and  be 
cast  out  to  the  moles  and  to  the  bats;  and  then, 
when  from  the  equator  to  the  poles  Christ  shall  be 
honored,  the  Lord  paramount  on  earth,  when  from 
land  to  land,  from  the  river  even  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  one  King  shall  reign,  one  shout  shall  be  raised, 
"  Hallelujah,  hallelujah,  the  Lord  God  Omnipotent 
reigneth." 

»-0-« 

WITHOUT  bread,  I  become  attenuated  to  a  skele- 
ton ;  and,  at  last,  I  die.  Without  thought,  my 
mind  becomes  dwarfed,  aye,  and  dwindles  itself 
until  I  become  the  idiot,  with  a  soul  that  hath  just 
life,  but  little  more.  And  without  Christ,  my  new- 
born spirit  must  become  a  vague,  shadowy  empti- 
ness. It  cannot  live  unless  it  feeds  on  that  heavenly 
manna  which  came  down  from  heaven.  JSTow  the 
Christian  can  say,  "  The  life  that  I  live  is  Christ ;" 
because  Christ  is  the  food  on  which  he  feeds,  and  the 
sustenance  of  his  new-born  spirit. 


spukgeon's  gems.  31 

SIN'lJ^EE,  let  tliis  be  thy  comfort,  tliat  God  sees 
tliee  wlieii  tliou  beginnest  to  repent.  He  does 
not  see  tbee  with  his  usual  gaze,  with  which  he  looks 
on  all  men,  but  he  sees  thee  with  an  eye  of  intense 
interest.  He  has  been  looking  on  thee  in  all  thy  sin, 
and  in  all  thy  sorrow,  hoping  that  thou  wouldst  re- 
pent ;  and  now  he  sees  the  first  gleam  of  grace,  and 
he  beholds  it  with  joy.  Never  warder  on  the  lonely 
castle  top  saw  the  first  grey  light  of  morning  with 
more  joy  than  that  with  which  God  beholds  the  first 
desire  in  thy  heart.  JSi^ever  physician  rejoiced  more 
when  he  saw  the  first  heaving  of  the  lungs  in  one 
that  was  supposed  to  be  dead,  than  God  doth  rejoice 
over  thee,  now  that  he  sees  the  first  token  for  good. 


I  HA  YE  seen  the  Christian  man  in  the  depths  of 
poverty,  when  he  lived  from  hand  to  mouth,  and 
scarcely  knew  where  he  should  find  the  next  meal, 
still  with  his  mind  unruffled,  calm,  and  quiet.  K  he 
had  been  as  rich  as  an  Indian  prince,  yet  could  he 
not  have  had  less  care ;  if  he  had  been  told  that  his 
bread  should  always  come  to  his  door,  and  the  stream 
which  ran  hard  by  should  never  dry — if  he  had  been 
quite  sure  that  ravens  would  bring  him  bread  and 
meat  in  the  morning,  and  again  in  the  evening,  he 
would  not  have  been  one  whit  more  calm. 


32  spijrgeon's  gems. 

OH,  I  reckon  on  the  day  of  de«itli  if  it  were  for  the 
mere  hope  of  seeing  the  bright  spirits  that  are 
now  before  the  throne ;  to  clasp  the  hand  of  Abra- 
ham, and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  to  look  into  the  face  of 
Paul  the  apostle,  and  grasp  the  hand  of  Peter ;  to  sit 
in  flowery  fields  with  Moses  and  David,  to  bask  in  the 
sunlight  of  bliss  with  John  and  Magdalene.  Oh,  how 
blest!  The  company  of  poor  imperfect  saints  on 
earth  is  good  ;  but  how  much  better  the  society  of  the 
redeemed.  Death  is  no  loss  to  us  by  way  of  friends. 
Wq  leave  a  few,  a  little  band  below,  and  say  to  them, 
"  Fear  not,  little  flock,"  and  we  ascend  and  meet  the 
armies  of  the  living  God — ^the  hosts  of  his  redeemed. 

"  To  die  is  gain." 

— •-•-• — 

IF  any  one  should  ask  me  for  an  epitome  of  the 
Christian  religion,  I  should  say,  it  is  in  that  one 
word — "  prayer."  If  I  should  be  asked,  "  What  will 
take  in  the  whole  of  Christian  experience  ?"  I  should 
answer,  "  prayer."  A  man  must  have  been  convinced 
of  sin  before  he  could  pray ;  he  must  have  had  some 
hope  that  there  was  mercy  for  him  before  he  could 
pray.  In  fact,  all  the  Christian  virtues  are  locked 
up  in  that  word,  prayer.  Do  but  tell  me,  you  are  a 
man  of  prayer,  and  I  will  reply  at  once,  "  Sir,  I  have 
no  doubt  of  the  reality,  as  well  as  the  sincerity,  of 
your  religion." 


spijegeon's  gems.  33 

Fthe  very  beginning,  when  this  great  imi^'erse 
lay  in  the  mind  of  God,  like  unborn  forests  in  the 
acorn-cnp  ;  long  ere  the  echoes  walked  the  solitudes  ; 
before  the  mountains  were  brought  forth  ;  and  long 
ere  the  light  flashed  through  the  sky,  God  loved  his 
chosen  creatures.  Before  there  was  creatureship — 
when  the  sether  was  not  fanned  by  the  angel's  wing ; 
when  space  itself  had  not  an  existence ;  when  there  was 
nothing  save  God  alone ;  even  then,  in  that  loneli- 
ness of  Deity,  and  in  that  deep  quiet  and  profundity, 
his  bowels  moved  for  his  chosen.  Their  names  were 
written  on  his  heart,  and  then  were  they  dear  to  his 

soul. 

— •-•-• 

THERE  is  an  elect  out  of  the  elect,  I  will  acknow- 
ledge, as  to  gifts  and  standing,  and  as  to  the 
labor  they  may  accomplish  in  this  world ;  but  there 
is  no  election  out  of  the  elect  as  to  a  deeper  extent  of 
love.  They  are  all  loved  alike  ;  they  are  all  written 
in  the  same  book  of  eternal  love  and  life. 


¥HEK  I  hear  of  a  church  where  they  are  all  gen- 
tlemen, I  always  say  farewell  to  that,  for  where 
there  are  no  j)oor,  the  ship  will  soon  sink.  If  there 
are  no  poor,  then,  Christ  will  soon  give  them  some, 
if  they  are  a  real  Gospel  church. 

3* 


34:  spukgeon's  gems. 

OH  !  it  is  a  glorious  fact,  that  prayers  are  noticed  in 
heaven.  The  poor  broken-hearted  sinner,  climb- 
ing up  to  his  chamber,  bends  his  knee,  but  can  only 
utter  his  wailing  in  the  language  of  sighs  and  tears. 
Lo !  that  groan  has  made  all  the  harps  of  heaven 
thrill  with  music ;  that  tear  has  been  caught  by  God, 
and  put  into  the  lachrymatory  of  heaven,  to  be  per- 
petually preserved.  The  suppliant,  whose  fears  pre- 
vent his  words,  will  be  well  understood  by  the  Most 
High. 


YE  lame  !  fear  not ;  you  will  not  be  cast  out.  Two 
snails  entered  the  ark ;  how  they  got  there,  I 
cannot  tell.  It  must  have  taken  them  a  long  time. 
They  must  have  set  off  rather  early,  unless  is  be  that 
Noah  took  them  part  of  the  way.  So,  some  of  you 
are  snails  ;  you  are  on  the  right  road,  but  it  will  take 
a  long  while,  unless  some  blessed  IsToah  helps  you 
into  the  ark. 


JESUS  recognizes  his  family  when  they  are  black 
as  the  tents  of  Kedar,  and  he  knows  they  shall  be 
fair  as  the  curtains  of  Solomon.  He  knows  his  child- 
ren when  they  do  not  know  themselves ;  when  they 
fancy  they  are  lost  beyond  rescue,  or  when  they  fool- 
ishly conceive  that  they  can  save  themselves. 


SPURGEON's   GEIMS.  36 

GIYE  me  the  comforts  of  God,  and  I  can  well  bear 
the  taunts  of  men.  Let  me  lay  my  head  on  the 
bosom  of  Jesus,  and  I  fear  not  the  distraction  of  care 
and  trouble.  If  my  God  will  give  me  ever  the  light 
of  his  smile,  and  glance  his  benediction — ^it  is  enough. 
Come  on  foes,  persecutors,  fiends,  ay,  ApoUyon  him- 
self, for  "  the  Lord  God  is  my  sun  and  shield."  Ga- 
ther, ye  clouds,  and  environ  me,  I  carry  a  sun  within ; 
blow,  wind  of  the  frozen  north,  1  have  a  fire  of  living 
coal  within  y  yea,  death,  slay  me,  but  I  have  another 
life — a  life  in  the  light  of  God's  countenance. 


BACKSLIDEKS!  fallen  ones!  God  will  have  mercy 
if  you  are  penitent.  Glorious  fact !  the  sorrow- 
ing backslider  shall  not  be  left  behind.  Backsliders 
shall  sing  above,  as  God's  restored  children,  he  ever 
has  loved.  Blind  and  lame  ones !  believe  in  the 
Lord,  and  you  shall  be  found  amongst  the  children 
of  the  Lamb  at  last. 


YE  may  erect  little  thrones  for  those  whom  ye 
rightly  love ;  but  God's  throne  must  be  a  glori- 
ous high  throne ;  you  may  set  them  upon  the  steps, 
but  God  must  sit  on  the  very  seat  itself.  He  is  to  be 
enthroned,  the  royal  One  within  your  heart,  the  king 
of  your  affectione. 


36  spurgeon's  gems. 

DESPISE  the  world,  rate  its  jewels  at  a  low 
price,  estimate  its  gems  as  paste,  and  its 
solidities  as  dreams.  Think  not  that  thou  shalt 
thus  lose  pleasure,  but  rather  remember  the  saying 
of  Chrysostom,  "  Contemn  riches,  and  thou  shalt  be 
rich  ;  contemn  glory,  and  thou  shalt  be  glorious  ;  con- 
temn injuries,  and  thou  shalt  be  a  conqueror ;  con- 
temn rest,  and  thou  shalt  gain  rest ;  contemn  earth, 
and  thou  shalt  gain  heaven  !  " 


I  GAZE  on  beauty,  and  may  be  myself  deformed. 
I  admire  the  light,  and  may  yet  dwell  in  dark- 
ness ;  but  if  the  light  of  the  countenance  of  God  rests 
upon  me,  I  shall  become  like  unto  Him :  the  linea- 
ments of  His  visage  will  be  on  me,  and  the  great  out- 
lines of  His  attributes  will  be  mine.  Oh,  wondrous 
glass,  which  thus  renders  the  beholder  lovely  !  Oh, 
admirable  mirror,  which  reflects  not  self  with  its  im- 
perfections, but  gives  a  perfect  image  to  those  that 

are  uncomely. 

— #_»_# — 

YOIJ  cannot  get  to  heaven  by  your  works.  You 
might  as  well  seek  to  mount  the  stars  on  a  tread- 
wheel,  as  to  go  to  heaven  by  works ;  for  as  you  get 
up  a  step,  you  will  always  come  down  as  low  as 
before.  If  you  cannot  be  perfect,  God  wiU  not  save 
you  by  works. 


spuegeon's  gems.  37 

TIIE  worm  is  not  to  murmur,  because  God  did  not 
make  it  an  angel,  and  the  fish  that  swims  the 
sea  must  not  complain  because  it  hath  not  wings  to 
flj  into  the  highest  heavens.  God  had  a  right  to 
make  his  creatures  just  what  he  pleased,  and  though 
men  may  dis23ute  his  right,  he  will  hold  and  keep  it 
inviolate  against  all  comers.  That  he  may  hedge  his 
right  about  and  make  vain  man  acknowledge  it,  in 
all  his  gifts  he  continually  reminds  us  of  his  sove- 
reignity. 


DO  you  not  know  that  God  is  an  eternal  self-exis- 
tent Being ;  that  to  say  he  loves  now^  is,  in  fact, 
to  say  he  always  did  love,  since  with  God  there  is  no 
past,  and  can  be  no  future.  What  we  call  past,  pre- 
sent, and  future,  he  wraps  in  one  eternal  xow.  And 
if  you  say  he  loves  you  now,  you  say  he  loved  yes- 
terday ;  he  loved  in  the  past  eternity ;  and  he  will 
love  forever ;  for  now  with  God  is  past,  present,  and 
future. 


•  •  • 


THEY  that  go  forth  to  fight,  boasting  that  they 
can  do  it,  shall  retmii  with  their  banners  trailed 
in  the  dust,  and  with  their  armor  stained  Avith 
defeat ;  for  God  will  not  go  forth  with  the  man  who 
goeth  forth  in  his  own  strength. 


38  spurgeon's  gems. 

LET  your  mind  rove  upon  tlie  great  doctrines  of 
the  Godhead :  consider  the  existence  of  God 
from  before  the  foundations  of  the  world ;  behold 
Him  who  is,  and  was,  and  is  to  come,  the  Almighty ; 
let  your  soul  comprehend  as  much  as  it  can  of  the 
Infinite,  and  grasp  as  much  as  possible  of  the  Eter- 
nal, and  I  am  sure,  if  you  have  minds  at  all,  they 
will  shrink  with  awe.  The  tall  archangel  bows  him- 
self before  his  Master's  throne ;  and  we  shall  cast 
ourselves  into  the  lowest  dust  when  we  feel  what 
base  nothings,  what  insignificant  specks  we  are  when 
compared  with  our  all-adorable  Creator. 


•  •• 


FAITH  is  the  gift  of  God.  Does  my  natural  father 
love  me  because  he  fed  me,  and  because  he 
clothed  me  ?  Nay,  he  clothed  and  fed  me  because 
he  loved  me,  but  his  love  was  prior  to  his  gift.  His 
gifts  did  not  draw  his  love  to  me,  because  he  loved 
me  before  he  gave  them.  And  if  any  man  says, 
"God  loves  me  because  I  can  do  this  or  that  for 
him,"  he  talks  nonsense. 


•  ••■ 


PEACE  is  the  flowing  of  the  brook,  but  joy  is  the 
dashing  of  the  cataract  when  the  brook  is  filled, 
bursts  its  banks,  and  rushes  down  the  rocks. 


spuegeon's  gems.  39 

MEN"  have  said  of  many  of  their  works,  "they 
shall  endure  forever  ;"  bnt  how  much  have  they 
been  disappointed  !  In  the  age  succeeding  the  flood, 
they  made  the  brick,  they  gathered  the  slime,  and 
when  they  had  piled  old  Babel's  tower,  they  said, 
"  This  shall  last  forever."  But  God  confounded  their 
language ;  they  finished  it  not.  By  his  lightnings 
he  destroyed  it,  and  left  it  a  monument  of  their  folly. 
Old  Pharaoh  and  the  Egyptian  monarchs  heaped  up 
their  pyramids,  and  they  said,  "  They  shall  stand  for- 
ever," and  so  indeed  they  do  stand  ;  but  the  time  is 
approaching  when  age  shall  devour  even  these.  So 
with  all  the  proudest  works  of  man,  whether  they 
have  been  his  temples  or  his  monarchies,  he  has  writ- 
ten "  everlasting"  on  them  ;  but  God  has  ordained 
their  end,  and  they  have  passed  away.  The  most 
stable  things  have  been  evanescent  as  shadows  and 
the  bubbles  of  an  hour,  speedily  destroyed  at  God's 
bidding.  Where  is  ^tTineveh,  and  where  is  Babylon  ? 
Where  the  cities  of  Persia?  Where  are  the  high 
places  of  Edom  ?  Where  are  Moab,  and  the  princes 
of  Ammon  ?  Where  are  the  temples  of  the  heroes 
of  Greece  ?  Where  the  millions  that  passed  from  the 
gates  of  Thebes  ?  Where  are  the  hosts  of  Xerxes, 
or  where  the  vast  armies  of  the  Poman  Emperors  ? 
Have  they  not  passed  away  ?  And  though  in  their 
pride  they  said,  "  This  monarchy  is  an  everlasting 


4:0  spuegeon's  gems. 

one  ;  tliis  queen  of  the  seven  hills  shall  be  called  the 
eternal  city,"  its  pride  is  dimmed ;  and  she  who  sat 
alone,  and  said,  "  I  shall  be  no  widow,  but  a  queen 
forever,"  she  hath  fallen,  hath  fallen,  and  in  a  little 
while  she  shall  sink  like  a  "millstone  in  the  flood,  her 
name  being  a  curse  and  a  byword,  and  her  site  the 
habitation  of  dragons  and  of  owls.  Man  calls  his 
works  eternal — God  calls  them  fleeting ;  man  con- 
ceives that  they  are  built  of  rock — God  says,  "  ]S^ay, 
sand,  or  worse  than  that — they  are  air."  Man  says 
he  erects  them  for  eternity — God  blows  bnt  for  a 
moment,  and  where  are  they  ?  Like  baseless  fabrics 
of  a  vision,  they  are  passed  and  gone  forever. 


GOD'S  Holy  Spirit  and  man's  sin  cannot  live  to- 
gether peaceably;  they  may  both  be  in  the 
same  heart,  but  they  cannot  both  reign  there,  nor  can 
they  both  be  qniet  there;  for  "the  Spirit  lusteth 
against  the  flesh,  and  the  flesh  lusteth  against  the 
Spirit ;"  they  cannot  rest,  bnt  there  will  be  a  perpe- 
tual warring  in  the  sonl,  so  that  the  Christian  will 
have  to  cry,  "  O  wretched  man  that  I  am !  who  shall 
deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death  ?"  But  in 
due  time  :  the  Spirit  will  drive  out  all  sin,  and  will 
present  us  blameless  before  the  throne  of  his  Majesty 
with  exceeding  great  joy. 


spurgeon's  gems.  41 

WITHLN"  a  liundred  and  fifty  years  how  lias  the 
boasted  power  of  reason  changed !  It  has  piled 
ii])  one  thing,  and  then  another  day  it  has  laughed  at 
its  own  handiwork,  demolished  its  own  castle,  and 
constructed  another,  and  the  next  day  a  third.  It 
has  a  thousand  dresses.  Once  it  came  forth  like  a 
fool  with  its  bells,  heralded  by  Yoltaire ;  then  it  came 
out  a  braggard  bully,'  like  Tom  Paine;  then  it 
changed  its  course,  and  assumed  another  shape,  till, 
forsooth,  we  have  it  in  the  base,  bestial  secularism  of 
the  present  day,  which  looks  for  naught  but  the 
earth,  keeps  its  nose  upon  the  ground,  and  like  the 
beast,  thinks  this  world  is  enough ;  or  looks  for  ano- 
ther through  seeking  this.  Why,  before  one  hair  on 
his  head  shall  be  grey,  the  last  secularist  shall  have 
passed  away ;  before  many  of  us  are  fifty  years  of 
age,  a  new  infidelity  shall  come,  and  to  those  who  say 
"  Where  will  saints  be  ?"  we  can  turn  round  and  say, 
"  Where  are  you  ?"  And  they  will  answer,  "  We 
have  altered  our  names."  They  will  have  altered 
their  name,  assumed  a  fresh  shape,  put  on  a  new  form 
of  evil,  but  still  their  nature  will  be  the  same ;  op- 
posing Christ,  and  endeavoring  to  blaspheme  his 
truths.  On  all  their  systems  of  religion,  or  non-reli- 
gion— ^for  that  is  a  system  too — it  may  be  written 
"Evanescent;  fading  as  the  flower,  fleeting  as  the 
meteor,  frail  and  unreal  as  a  vapor."    But  of  Christ's 


42  spuegeon's  gems. 

religion,  it  shall  be  said,  "  His  name  shall  endure  for- 
ever." Let  me  now  say  a  few  things — not  to  prove 
it,  for  that  I  do  not  wish  to  do — but  to  give  you  some 
hints  whereby,  possibly,  I  may  one  day  prove  it  to 
other  people,  that  Jesns  Christ's  religion  must  inevi- 
tably endure  forever. 


YOU  know,  when  we  have  been  taking  some  kind 
of  medicine,  and  our  mouth  has  been  impreg- 
nated with  a  strong  flavor,  whatever  we  eat  acquires 
that  taste.  You  have  got  your  mouth  out  of  taste 
with  some  of  the  world's  poor  dainties  ;  you  have 
some  of  the  powder  of  the  apples  of  Sodom  hanging 
on  your  lips,  that  spoils  the  glorious  flavor  of  your 
meditation  on  Jesus.  In  fact,  it  prevents  your  medi- 
tating on  Christ  at  all.  It  is  only  a  hearing  of  the 
meditation  with  your  ears,  not  a  receiving  it  with 
your  hearts. 


•  •  •■ 


¥AIl]!^  the  boatman  before  he  enters  the  current, 
and  then,  if  he  is  swept  down  the  rapids,  he 
destroys  himself.  Warn  the  man  before  he  drinks 
the  cup  of  poison,  tell  him  it  is  deadly :  and  then,  if 
he  drinks  it,  his  death  lies  at  his  own  door.  And  so*, 
let  us  warn  you  before  you  depart  this  life ;  let  us 
preach  to  you  while  as  yet  your  bones  are  full  of  mar- 
row, and  the  sinews  of  your  joints  are  not  loosed. 


sphrgeon's  gems.  43 

FKIEISTD,  tlion  liast  not  tlie  Spirit.  Then  thou  art 
nothing  better — be  thou  what  thou  art,  or  what- 
soever thou  may  est  be— than  the  fall  of  Adam  left 
thee.  That  is  to  say,  thou  art  a  fallen  creature,  having 
only  ca]3acities  to  live  here  in  sin,  and  to  live  forever 
in  torment ;  but  thou  hast  not  the  capacity  to  live  in 
heaven  at  all,  for  thou  hast  no  Spirit ;  and  therefore 
thou  art  unable  to  know  or  enjoy  spiritual  things. 
And  mark  you,  a  man  may  be  in  this  state,  and  be  a 
sensual  man,  and  yet  he  may  have  all  the  virtues 
that  could  grace  a  Christian ;  but  w^th  all  these,  if 
he  has  not  the  Spirit,  he  has  got  not  an  inch  further 
than  where  Adam's  fall  left  him — that  is,,  condemned 
and  under  the  curse.  Aye,  and  he  may  attend  to  re- 
ligion with  all  his  might — ^he  may  take  the  sacrament, 
and  be  baptized,  and  may  be  the  most  devout  profes- 
sor ;  but  if  he  hath  not  the  Spirit  he  hath  not  started 
a  solitary  inch  from  where  he  was,  for  he  is  still  in 
"  the  bonds  of  iniquity,"  a  lost  soul.  Nay,  further, 
he  may  pick  up  religious  phrases  till  he  may  talk 
very  fast  about  religion ;  he  may  read  biographies  till 
he  seems  to  be  a  deep-taught  child  of  God ;  he  may 
be  able  to  write  an  article  upon  the  deep  experience 
of  a  believer  :  but  if  this  experience  be  not  his  own, 
if  he  hath  not  received  it  by  the  Spirit  of  the  living 
God,  he  is  still  nothing  more  than  a  carnal  man,  and 
heaven  is  to  him  a  place  to  which  there  is  no  en- 


44  SPUEGEOn's   GEM8. 

trance.  Nay,  further,  lie  might  go  so  far  as  to  be- 
come a  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  a  successful  minis- 
ter too,  and  God  may  bless  the  word  tliat  he  preaches 
to  the  salvation  of  sinners,  but  unless  he  has  received 
the  Spirit,  be  he  as  eloquent  as  Apollos,  and  as  ear- 
nest as  Paul,  he  is  nothing  more  than  a  mere  soulish 
man,  without  capacity  for  spiritual  things. 

l!^ay,  to  crown  all,  he  might  even  have  the  power 
of  working  miracles,  as  Judas  had — ^he  might  even 
be  received  into  the  Church  as  a  believer,  as  was 
Simon  Magus,  and  after  all  that,  though  he  had  cast 
out  devils,  though  he  had  healed  the  sick,  though 
he  had  worked  miracles,  he  might  have  the  gates  of 
heaven  shut  in  his  teeth,  if  he  had  not  received  the 
Spirit.  For  this  is  the  essential  thing,  without  which 
all  others  are  in  vain — ^the  reception  of  the  Spirit  of 
the  living  God. 


,CJ  OME  persons  say  they  cannot  bear  to  be  an  hour 
KJ  in  solitude ;  they  have  got  nothing  to  do, 
nothing  to  think  about.  'No  Christian  will  ever  talk 
so,  surely ;  for  if  I  can  but  give  him  one  word  to 
think  of — Christ — ^let  him  spell  that  over  forever  ; 
let  me  give  him  the  word  Jesus,  and  only  let  him 
try  to  think  it  over,  and  he  shall  find  that  an  hour 
is  naught,  and  that  eternity  is  not  half  enough  to 
utter  our  glorious  Saviour's  praise. 


spurgeon's  gs:ms.  45 

WHEN  God  sends  rain  upon  the  clinrcli,  he 
"  sends  showers  of  blessings."  Tliere  are  some 
ministers  who  think,  that  if  there  is  a  shower  on 
their  church,  God  will  send  a  shower  of  work.  Yes, 
but  if  he  does,  he  wdll  send  a  shower  of  comfort. 
Others  think  that  God  will  send  a  shower  of  gospel 
truth.  Yes,  but  if  he  sends  that,  he  will  send  a 
shower  of  gospel  holiness.  For  all  God's  blessings 
go  together.  They  are  like  the  sweet  sister  graces 
that  danced  hand  in  hand.  God  sends  showers  of 
blessings.  K  he  gives  comforting  grace,  he  will  also 
give  converting  grace ;  if  he  makes  the  trumpet 
blow  for  the  bankrupt  sinner,  he  will  also  make  it 
sound  a  shout  of  joy  for  the  sinner  that  is  pardoned 
and  forgiven.     He  will  send  "  showers  of  blessings." 


THE  hour  is  coming,  and  it  may  be  even  now 
is,  when  the  Holy  Ghost  shall  be  poured  out 
again  in  such  a  wonderful  manner,  that  many  shall 
run  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge  shall  be  increased — 
the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth  as 
the  waters  cover  the  surface  of  the  great  deep; 
when  his  kingdom  shall  come,  and  his  will  shall  be 
done  on  earth  even  as  it  is  in  heaven.  We  are  not 
going  to  be  dragging  on  forever  like  Pharoah,  with 
the  wheels  off  his  chariot.     My  heart  exults,  and  my 


46  spurgeon's  gems. 

eyes  flasli  witli  the  tlioiiglit  tliat  very  likely  I  sliall 
live  to  see  tlie  out-pouring  of  the  Spirit ;  when  "  the 
sons  and  the  daughters  of  God  again  shall  prophesy, 
and  the  young  men  shall  see  visions,  and  the  old 
men  shall  dream  dreams."  Perhaps  there  shall  be 
no  miraculous  gifts — ^for  they  will  not  be  required ; 
but  yet  there  shall  be  such  a  miraculous  amount  of 
holiness,  such  an  extraordinary  fervor  of  prayer, 
such  a  real  communion  with  God,  and  so  much  vital 
religion,  and  such  a  spread  of  the  doctrines  of  the 
cross,  that  every  one  will  see  that  verily  the  Spirit  is 
poured  out  like  water,  and  the  rains  are  descending 
from  above.  For  that  let  us  pray ;  let  us  con- 
tinually labor  for  it,  and  seek  it  of  God. 


THE  imagination  will  sometimes  fly  up  to  God 
with  such  a  power  that  eagles'  wings  cannot 
match  it.  It  sometimes  has  such  might  that  it  can 
almost  see  the  King  in  his  beauty,  and  the  land 
which  is  very  far  off.  With  regard  to  myself,  my 
imagination  will  sometimes  take  me  over  the  gates 
of  iron,  across  that  infinite  unknown,  to  the  very 
gates  of  pearl,  and  discovers  the  blessed  glorified. 
But,  if  it  is  potent  one  way,  it  is  another :  for  my 
imagination  has  taken  me  down  to  the  vilest  kennels 
and  sewers  of  earth.     It  has  given  me  thoughts  so 


bpurgeon's  gems.  4:7 

dreadful,  that,  wliile  1  could  not  avoid  tliem,  yet  I 
was  thoroughly  horrified  at  them.  These  thouglits 
will  come  ;  and  when  I  feel  in  the  holiest  frame,  the 
most  devoted  to  God,  and  the  most  earnest  in  prayer, 
it  often  happens  that  that  is  the  very  time  when  the 
plague  breaks  out  the  worst.  But  I  rejoice  and 
think  of  one  thing,  that  I  can  cry  out  when  this  ima- 
gination comes  upon  me.  I  know  it  is  said  in  the 
Book  of  Leviticus,  when  an  act  of  evil  was  commit- 
ted, if  the  maiden  cried  out  against  it,  then  her  life 
was  to  be  spared.  So  it  is  with  the  Christian.  If  he 
cries  out,  there  is  hope.  Can  you  chain  your  ima- 
gination ?  1^0 ;  but  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
can.  Ah,  it  shall  do  it !  and  it  does  do  it  at  last,  it 
does  it  even  on  earth. 


O'NCE  I,  like  Mazeppa,  bound  on  the  wild  horse 
of  my  lust,  bound  hand  and  foot,  incapable  of 
resistance,  was  galloping  on  with  hell's  wolves  be- 
hind me,  howling  for  my  body  and  my  soul,  as  their 
just  and  lawful  prey.  There  came  a  mighty  hand 
which  stopped  that  wild  horse,  cut  my  bands,  set  me 
down,  and  brought  me  into  liberty.  Is  there  power? 
Aye,  there  is  power ;  and  he  who  has  felt  it,  must 
acknowledge  it.  There  was  a  time  when  I  lived  in 
the  strong  old  castle  of  my  sins,  and  rested  on  my 
works.     There  came  a  trumpeter  to  the  door,  and 


48  spurgeon's  gems. 

bade  me  open  it.  I  with  anger  chid  him  from  the 
porch,  and  said  he  ne'er  should  enter.  There  came 
a  goodly  personage,  with  loving  countenance ;  his 
hands  were  marked  with  scars,  where  nails  were 
driven,  and  his  feet  had  nail-prints  too  ;  he  lifted  up 
his  cross,  using  it  as  a  hammer  ;  at  the  first  blow  the 
gate  of  mj  prejudice  shook ;  at  the  second  it  trem- 
bled more,  at  the  third  down  it  fell,  and  in  he  came  ; 
and  he  said,  "  Arise,  and  stand  upon  thj  feet,  for  I 
have  loved  thee  with  an  everlasting  love." 


JUST  before  I  die  sanctification  will  be  finished ; 
but  not  till  that  moment  shall  I  ever  claim  perfec- 
tion in  myself.  But  at  that  moment  when  I  depart,  my 
spirit  shall  have  its  last  baptism  in  the  Holy  Spirit's 
fire.  It  shall  be  put  in  the  crucible  for  its  last  trying 
in  the  furnace ;  and  then,  free  from  all  dross,  and 
fine,  like  a  wedge  of  pure  gold,  it  shall  be  presented 
at  the  feet  of  God  without  the  least  degree  of  dross 
or  mixture.  O  glorious  hour !  O  blessed  moment ! 
Methinks  I  long  to  die  if  there  were  no  heaven,  if  I 
might  but  have  that  last  purification,  and  come  up 
from  Jordan's  stream  most  white  from  the  washing. 
Oh,  to  be  washed  white,  clean,  pure,  perfect !  'Not 
an  angel  more  pure  than  I  shall  be — yea,  not  God 
himself  more  holy  !     And  I  shall  be  able  to  say,  in 


SPimGEON's  OEMS.  49*' 

a  double  sense,  "  Great  God,  I  am  clean — through 

Jesus'  blood  I  am  clean,  through  the  Spirit's  work  I 

am  clean  too !" 

» » » 

IF  this  earth  could  but  have  its  mantle  torn  away 
for  a  little  while,  if  the  green  sod  could  be  cut 
from  it,  and  we  could  look  about  six  feet  deep  into 
its  bowels,  what  a  world  it  would  seem  !  What 
should  we  see  ?  Bones,  carcasses,  rottenness,  worms, 
corruption.  And  you  would  say.  Can  these  dry 
bones  live  ?  Can  they  start  up  ?  Yes !  "in  a 
moment !  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  at  the  last 
trump,  the  dead  shall  be  raised."  He  speaks  ;  they 
are  alive  !  See  them  scattered !  bone  comes  to  his 
bone !  See  them  naked ;  flesh  comes  upon  them ! 
See  them  still  lifeless  ;  "  Come  from  the  four  winds, 
O  breath,  and  breathe  upon  these  slain!"  "When 
the  wind  of  the  Holy  Spirit  comes,  they  live  ;  and 
they  stand  upon  their  feet  an  exceeding  great  army.  • 


THEOLOGY  hath  nothing  new  in  it  except  that 
which  is  false.  The  preaching  of  Paul  must 
be  the  preaching  of  the  minister  to-day.  There  is  no 
advancement  here.  We  may  advance  in  our  know- 
ledge of  it;  but  it  stands  the  same,  for  this  good 
reason,  that  it  is  perfect,  and  perfection  cannot  be 
any  better. 

8 


50  spuegeon's  gems. 

THE  resurrection  of  Christ  was  effected  by  the 
agency  of  the  Spirit !  and  here  we  have  a  no- 
ble illustration  of  his  omnipotence.  Could  you  have 
stepped,  as  angels  did,  into  the  grave  of  Jesus,  and 
seen  his  sleeping  body,  you  would  have  found  it  cold 
as  any  other  corpse.  Lift  up  the  hand ;  it  falls  by 
the  side.  Look  at  the  eye ;  it  is  glazed.  And  there 
is  a  death-thrust  which  must  have  annihilated  life. 
See  his  hands :  the  blood  distills  not  from  them. 
They  are  cold  and  motionless.  Can  that  body  live  ?  Can 
it  start  up  ?  Yes ;  and  be  an  illustration  of  the  might  of 
the  Spirit.  For  when  the  power  of  the  Spirit  came  on 
him,  as  it  was  when  it  fell  upon  the  dry  bones  of  the 
valley,  "  he  arose  in  the  majesty  of  his  divinity,  and, 
bright  and  shining,  astonished  the  watchmen  so  that 
they  fled  away  ;  yea,  he  arose  no  more  to  die,  but  to 
live  forever.  King  of  kings  and  Prince  of  the  kings 
of  the  earth." 


G 


OD  is  love  in  its  highest  degree.  He  is  love  ren- 
dered more  than  love.  Love  is  not  God,  but 
God  is  love  ;  he  is  full  of  grace,  he  is  the  plenitude 
of  mercy — he  delighteth  in  mercy.  As  high  as  the 
heavens  are  above  the  earth,  so  high  are  his  thoughts 
of  love  above  our  thoughts  of  desjDair  ;  and  his  ways 
of  grace  above  our  ways  of  fear.  This  God,  in  whom 
these  three  great  attributes  harmonize — illimitable 


spurgeon's  gems.  51 

sovereignty,  inflexible  justice,  and  unfatliomablo 
grace — these  three  make  up  the  main  attributes  of 
the  one  God  of  heaven  and  earth  whom  the  Christians 
worship. 


IBID  you  take  the  meditation  upon  Christ,  as  a 
piece  of  scented  stuff  that  was  perfumed  in  hea- 
ven. It  matters  not  what  thou  hast  in  thy  house ; 
this  shall  make  it  redolent  of  Paradise — shall  make  it 
smell  like  those  breezes  that  once  blew  through 
Eden's  garden,  wafting  the  odor  of  flowers.  Ah  ! 
there  is  nothing  that  can  so  console  your  spirits,  and 
relieve  all  your  distresses  and  troubles,  as  the  feeling 
that  now  you  can  meditate  on  the  person  of  Jesus 
Christ. 


METHIXKS,  if  you  had  a  free  pass  to  heaven's 
palace,  you  w^ould  use  it  very  often ;  if  you 
might  go  there  and  hold  communion  with  some  per- 
son whom  you  dearly  loved,  you  would  often  be 
found  there.  But  here  is  your  Jesus,  the  king  of 
heaven,  and  he  gives  you  that  which  can  open  the 
gates  of  heaven  and  let  you  in  to  hold  company 
with  him,  and  yet  you  live  without  meditating  upon 
his  work,  meditating  upon  his  person,  meditating 
upon  his  ofiices,  and  meditating  upon  his  glory. 


62  spurgeon's  gems. 

JUST  as  the  tiny  shells  make  up  the  chalk  hills^ 
and  the  chalk  hills  together  make  up  the  range, 
so  the  trifling  actions  make  up  the  whole  account, 
and  each  of  these  must  be  pulled  asunder  separately. 
You  had  an  hour  to  spare  the  other  day — what 
did  you  do  ?  You  had  a  voice — how  did  you  use  it  ? 
You  had  a  pen — you  could  use  that — ^liow  did  you 
employ  it  ?  Each  particular  shall  be  brought  out, 
and  there  shall  be  demanded  an  account  for  each 

one. 

•  •• 


IT  is  well  to  be  the  sheep  of  God's  pasture,  even  if 
we  have  been  wandering  sheep.  The  straying 
sheep  has  an  owner,  and  however  far  it  may  stray 
from  the  fold,  it  ceases  not  to  belong  to  that  owner. 
I  believe  that  God  will  yet  bring  back  into  the  fold 
every  one  of  his  own  sheep,  and  they  shall  all  be 
saved.  It  is  something  to  feel  our  wanderings,  for  if 
we  feel  ourselves  to  be  lost,  we  shall  certainly  be 
saved  ;  if  we  feel  ourselves  to  have  wandered,  we 
shall  certainly  be  brought  back. 


ylRTUES  in  unregenerate  men  are  nothing  but 
wliitewashed  sins.  The  best  performance  of  an 
unchanged  character  is  worthless  in  God's  sight.  It 
wants  the  stamp  of  grace  on  it ;  and  that  which  has 
not  the  stamp  of  grace  is  false  coin. 


spurgeon's  gems.  53 

GOOD  old  Simeon  called  Jesus  the  consolation  of 
Israel ;  and  so  lie  was.  Before  his  actual  ap- 
pearance, his  name  was  the  day-star ;  cheeriug  the 
darkness,  and  prophetic  of  the  rising  sun.  To  him 
they  looked  with  the  same  hope  which  cheers  the 
nightly  watcher,  when  from  the  lonely  castle-top  he 
sees  the  fairest  of  the  stars,  and  hails  her  as  the  usher 
of  the  morn.  When  he  was  on  earth,  he  must  have 
been  the  consolation  of  all  those  who  were  privileged 
to  be  his  companions.  We  can  imagine  how  readily 
the  disciples  would  run  to  Christ  to  tell  him  of  their 
griefs,  and  how  sweetly,  with  that  matchless  intona- 
tion of  his  voice,  he  would  speak  to  them,  and  bid 
their  fears  be  gone.  Like  children,  they  would 
consider  him  as  their  Father;  and  to  him  every 
want,  every  groan,  every  sorrow,  every  agony,  would 
at  once  be  carried ;  and  he,  like  a  wise  physician, 
had  a  balm  for  every  wound ;  he  had  mingled  a  cor- 
dial for  their  every  care  ;  and  readily  did  he  dispense 
some  mighty  remedy  to  allay  all  the  fever  of  their 
troubles.  Oh!  it  must  have  been  sweet  to  have 
lived  with  Christ.  Surely,  sorrows  were  then  but 
joys  in  masks,  because  they  gave  an  opportunity  to 
go  to  Jesus  to  have  them  removed.  Oh !  would  to 
God,  some  of  us  may  say,  that  we  tiould  have  lain 
our  weary  heads  upon  the  bosom  of  Jesus,  and  that 
our  birth  had  been  in  that  happy  era,  when  we 


64  spukgeon's  gems. 

might  have  heard  his  kind  voice,  and  seen  his  kind 
look,  when  he  said,  "  Let  the  wearj  ones  come  unto 
me." 

It  behooved  him  to  slmnber  in  the  dust  awhile, 
that  he  might  perfume  the  chamber  of  the  grave  to 
make  it — 

"  No  more  a  charnel  house  to  fence 
The  rehcs  of  lost  innocence." 

It  behooved  him  to  have  a  resurrection,  that  we,  who 
shall  one  day  be  the  dead  in  Christ,  might  rise  first, 
and  in  glorious  bodies  stand  upon  earth.  And  it 
behooved  him  that  he  should  ascend  up  on  high,  that 
he  might  lead  captivity  captive  ;  that  he  might  chain 
the  fiends  of  hell ;  that  he  might  lash  them  to  his 
chariot-wheels,  and  drag  them  up  high  heaven's  hill, 
to  make  them  feel  a  second  overthrow  from  his  right 
arm,  w^hen  he  should  dash  them  from  the  pinnacles 
of  heaven  down  to  the  deeper  depths  beneath.  "  It 
is  right  I  should  go  away  from  you,"  said  Jesus,  "  for 
if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come." 
Jesus  must  go.  Weep,  ye  disciples :  Jesus  must  be 
gone.  Mourn,  ye  poor  ones,  who  are  to  be  left  with- 
out a  Comforter.  But  hear  how  kindly  Jesus 
speaks  :  "  I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless,  I  will  pray 
the  Father,  and  he  shall  send  you  another  Comforter, 
who  shall  be  with  you,  and  shall  dwell  in  you  for- 
ever."   He  would  not  leave  those  few  poor  sheep 


spurgeon's  gems.  55 

alone  in  tlie  wilderness ;  lie  would  not  desert  his 
children,  and  leave  them  fatherless.  Albeit  that  he 
had  a  mighty  mission  which  did  fill  his  heart  and 
hand ;  albeit  he  had  so  much  to  perform,  that  we 
might  have  thought  that  even  his  gigantic  intellect 
would  be  overburdened ;  albeit  he  had  so  much  to 
suffer,  that  we  might  suppose  his  whole  soul  to  be 
concentrated  upon  the  thought  of  the  sufferings  to  be 
endured.  Yet  it  was  not  so  ;  before  he  left,  he  gave 
soothing  words  of  comfort ;  like  the  good  Samaritan, 
he  poured  in  oil  and  wine,  and  we  see  what  he  prom- 
ised :  "  I  will  send  you  another  Comforter — one  who 
shall  be  just  what  I  have  been,  yea,  even  more  ;  who 
shall  console  you  in  your  sorrows,  remove  your 
doubts,  comfort  you  in  your  afflictions,  and  stand  as 
my  vicar  on  earth,  to  do  that  which  I  would  have 
done  had  I  tarried  with  you. 


LET  thy  face  ever  wear  a  smile ;  let  thine  eyes 
sparkle  with  gladness ;  live  near  thy  Master ; 
live  in  the  suburbs  of  the  celestial  city,  as  by 
and  by  when  thy  time  shall  come  thou  shalt  borrow 
better  wings  than  angels  ever  wore,  and  out-soar  the 
cherubim,  and  rise  up  where  thy  Jesus  sits — sit  at 
his  right  hand,  even  as  he  has  overcome  and  has 
sat  down  upon  his  Father's  right  hand. 


56  .^^^.^...^ 


SPUKGEON  8    GEMS. 


MAKY  a  good  old  Jerusalem  blade  has  been  blunt- 
ed against  the  hard  heart.  Many  a  piece  of  the 
true  steel  that  God  has  put  into  the  hands  of  his  ser- 
vants has  had  the  edge  turned  by  being  set  up 
against  the  sinner's  heart.  We  cannot  reach  the 
soul,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  can.  "  My  beloved  can 
put  in  his  hand  by  the 'hole  in  the  door,  and  my 
bowels  will  move  for  sin."  He  can  give  a  sense 
of  blood-bought  pardon  that  shall  dissolve  a  heart  of 
stone. 


THE  very  fact  that  you  have  troubles  is  a  proof  of 
his  faithfulness;  for  you  have  got  one  half  of 
his  legacy,  and  you  will  have  the  other  half.  You 
know  that  Christ's  last  will  and  testament  has  two 
portions  in  it.  "  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribula- 
tion :"  you  have  got  that.  The  next  clause  is — "  In 
me  ye  shall  have  peace."  You  have  that  too.  "  Be 
of  good  cheer  ;  I  have  overcome  the  world."   That  is 

yours  also. 

•  •  • 

THEEE  will  be  little  else  we  shall  want  of  heaven 
besides  Jesus  Christ.  He  will  be  our  bread,  our 
food,  our  beauty,  and  our  glorious  dress.  The  atmos- 
phere of  heaven  will  be  Christ ;  everything  in  heaven 
wiU  be  Christ-like :  yea,  Christ  is  the  heaven  of  his 
people. 


8PUEGE0N  8   GEMS.  67 

REST  tliee  well  assured,  O  scorner,  that  tlij  laughs 
cannot  alter  truth,  thy  jests  cannot  avert  thine 
inevitable  doom.  Though  in  thy  hardihood  thou 
shouldst  make  a  league  witli  death,  and  sign  a  cov- 
enant with  hell — ^yet  swift  justice  shall  overtake 
thee,  and  strong  vengeance  strike  thee  low.  In  vain 
dost  thou  jeer  and  mock,  for  eternal  verities  are 
mightier  than  thy  sophistries,  nor  can  thy  smart  say- 
ings alter  the  divine  truth  of  a  single  word  of  this 
volume  of  Revelation.  Oh  !  why  dost  thou  quarrel 
with  thy  best  friend,  and  ill-treat  thy  only  refuge  ? 
There  yet  remains  hope,  even  for  the  scorner.  Hope 
in  a  Saviour's  veins.  Hope  in  the  Father's  mercy. 
Hope  in  the  Holy  Spirit's  omnipotent  agency. 


IT  is  true  that  you  have  no  fiery  chariot ;  but  then 
the  angels  carry  you  to  Jesus'  bosom,  and  that 
is  as  well.  It  is  true,  no  ravens  bring  you  food  ;  it  is 
quite  as  true  you  get  your  food  somehow  or  other.  It 
is  quite  certain  that  no  rock  gushes  out  with  water ; 
but  still  your  water  has  been  sure.  It  is  true  your 
child  has  not  been  raised  from  the  dead ;  but  you 
remember  that  David  had  a  child  that  was  not  raised 
any  more  than  yours.  You  have  the  same  consola- 
tion as  he  had :  "  I  shall  go  to  him ;  he  shall  not 
return  to  me." 

3* 


58  spurgeon's  gems. 


MEN  in  the  days  of  Toplady  looked  back  to  the 
days  of  Whitfield ;  men  in  the  days  of  Whit- 
field looked  back  to  the  days  of  Bunyan ;  men  in  the 
days  of  Bunyan  Avept,  because  of  the  days  of  Wy- 
cliffe,  and  Calvin,  and  Luther ;  and  men  then  wept 
for  the  days  of  Augustine  and  Chrysostom.  Men  in 
those  days  wept  for  the  days  of  the  Apostles ;  and 
doubtless  men  in  the  days  of  the  Apostles  wept  for 
the  days  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  no  doubt  some  in  the 
days  of  Jesus  Christ  were  so  blind  as  to  wish  to  return 
to  the  days  of  prophesy,  and  thought  more  of  the 
days  of  Elijah  than  they  did  of  the  most  glorious  day 
of  Christ.  Some  men  look  more  to  the  past  than  the 
present.  Rest  assured,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  same 
to-day  as  he  was  yesterday,  and  he  will  be  the  same 
forever. 


TTTE  old  truth  that  Calvin  preached,  that  Chry- 
sostom preached,  that  Paul  preached,  is  the 
truth  that  I  must  preach  to-day,  or  else  be  a  liar  to 
my  conscience  and  my  God.  I  cannot  shape  the 
trutlj.  I  know  of  no  such  thing  as  paring  off  the 
rough  edges  of  a  doctrine.  John  Knox's  gospel  is 
my  gospel.  That  which  thundered  through  Scotland 
must  thunder  through  England  again.  The  great 
mass  of  our  ministers  are  sound  enough  in  the  faith, 
but  not  sound  enough  in  the  way  they  preach  it. 


spukgeon's  gems.  59 

THE  Holy  Ghost  advocates  our  cause  with  Jesus 
Christ,  with  groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered. 
O  my  soul !  thou  art  ready  to  burst  within  me.  O 
my  heart !  thou  art  swelled  with  grief.  The  hot  tide 
of  thy  emotion  would  well-nigh  overflow  the  chan- 
nels of  my  veins.  I  long  to  speak,  but  the  very 
desire  chains  my  tongue.  I  wish  to  pray,  but  the 
fervency  of  my  feeling  curbs  my  language.  There  is 
a  groaning  within  that  cannot  be  uttered.  Do  you 
know  who  can  ntter  that  groaning  ?  who  can  under- 
stand it,  and  who  can  put  it  into  heavenly  language, 
and  utter  it  in  a  celestial  tongue,  so  that  Christ  can 
hear  it?  O  yes;  it  is  God  the  Holy  Spirit;  he 
advocates  our  cause  with  Christ,  and  then  Christ 
advocates  it  with  his  Father.  He  is  the  advocate 
who  maketh  intercession  for  us,  with  groanings  that 
cannot  be  uttered. 


YE  may  take  a  corj)se,  ye  may  dress  it  in  all  the 
garments  of  external  decency  ;  ye  may  wash  it 
with  the  water  of  morality ;  aye,  ye  may  bedeck  it 
with  the  crown  of  profession,  ye  may  put  on  its  brow 
a  tiara  of  beauty,  ye  may  paint  its  cheeks,  until  ye 
make  it  well-nigh  like  life  itself.  But  remember, 
unless  the  Spirit  be  there,  the  worm  shall  feed  on  the 
painted  cheek,  and  corruption  will  ere  long  seize  on 
the  body.     It  is  the  Spirit  that  is  the  quickener. 


60  spurgeon's  gems. 

OH !  there  is  a  voice  in  love ;  it  speaks  a  language 
which  is  its  own  ;  it  has  an  idiom  and  a  brogue 
which  none  can  mimic ;  wisdom  cannot  imitate  it ; 
oratory  cannot  attain  unto  it ;  it  is  love  alone  wliich 
can  reach  the  mourning  heart ;  love  is  the  only  liand- 
kerchief  which  can  wipe  the  mourner's  tears  away. 
And  is  not  the  Holy  Ghost  a  loving  comforter  ?  Dost 
thou  know,  O  saint,  how  much  the  Holy  Spirit  loves 
thee  ?  Canst  thou  measure  the  love  of  the  Spirit  ? 
Dost  thou  know  how  great  is  the  affection  of  his 
soul  towards  thee  ?  Go  measure  heaven  with  thy 
span  ;  go  weigh  the  mountains  in  the  scales ;  go  take 
the  ocean's  water,  and  tell  each  drop ;  go  count  the 
sand  upon  the  sea's  wide  shore  ;  and  when  thou  hast 
accomplished  this,  thou  canst  tell  how  much  he  loveth 
tliee.  He  has  loved  thee  long,  he  has  loved  thee 
well,  he  loved  thee  ever,  and  he  still  shall  love  thee ; 
surely  he  is  the  person  to  comfort  thee,  because  he 
loves. 


SPIKITUAL  ploughman  !  sharpen  thy  ploughshare 
with  the  Spirit.  Spiritual  sower  !  dip  thy  seed 
in  the  Spirit,  so  shall  it  germinate ;  and  ask  the 
Spirit  to  give  thee  grace  to  scatter  it,  that  it  may  fall 
into  the  right  furrows.  Spiritual  warrior  !  whet  thy 
sword  with  the  Spirit,  and  ask  the  Sj)irit,  whose  word 
is  a  sword  indeed,  to  strengthen  thine  arm  to  wield  it. 


spukgeon's  gems.  CX 

THE  young  may  die  ;  tlie  old  must  /  To  sleej)  in 
youth  is  to  sleep  in  a  siege ;  to  sleep  in  old  age 
is  to  slumber  during  the  attack.  What!  man,  wilt 
thou  that  art  so  near  thy  Maker's  bar  still  put  him 
off  with  a  "  Go  thy  way  ?"  "What !  procrastinate 
now,  when  the  knife  is  at  thy  throat — when  the 
worm  is  at  the  heart  of  the  tree,  and  the  branches 
have  begun  to  wither — when  the  grinders  fail  even 
now,  because  they  are  few,  and  they  that  look  out 
of  the  windows  are  darkened  ?  Tlie  sere  and  yellow 
leaf  has  come  ujpon  thee,  and  thou  art  still  unready 

for  thy  doom ! 

•-•-« — 

THE  canon  of  revelation  is  closed  ;  there  is  no 
more  to  be  added;  God  does  not  give  a  fresh 
revelation,  but  he  rivets  the  old  one.  When  it  has 
been  forgotten,  and  laid  in  the  dusty  chamber  of  our 
memory,  he  fetches  it  out  and  cleans  the  picture,  but 
does  not  paint  a  new  one.  There  are  no  new  doc- 
trines, but  the  old  ones  are  often  revived.  It  is  not,  I 
say,  by  any  new  revelation  that  the  Spirit  comforts. 
He  does  so  by  telling  us  old  things  over  again ;  he 
brings  a  fresh  lamp  to  manifest  the  treasures  hidden 
in  Scripture ;  lie  unlocks  the  strong  chests  in  which 
the  truth  has  long  lain,  and  he  points  to  secret  cham- 
bers filled  with  untold  riches;  but  he  coins  no  more, 
for  enough  is  done.    Believer!  there  is  enough  in 


62  spurgeok's  gems. 

the  Bible  for  tliee  to  live  upon  forever.  If  thou 
shouldst  outnumber  the  years  of  Methuselah,  there 
would  be  no  need  for  a  fresh  revelation;  if  thou 
shouldst  live  till  Christ  should  come  upon  the  earth, 
there  would  be  no  necessity  for  the  addition  of'a  sin- 
gle word ;  if  thou  shouldst  go  down  as  deep  as  Jonah, 
or  even  descend  as  David  said  he  did,  into  the  belly 
of  hell,  still  there  would  be  enough  in  the  Bible  to 
comfort  thee  without  a  supplementary  sentence. 


VISDOM  had  had  its  time,  and  time  enough ;  it 
had  done  its  all,  and  that  was  little  enough  ;  it 
had  made  the  world  worse  than  it  was  before  it  stepped 
upon  it,  and  "now,"  says  God,  "foolishness  shall 
overcome  wisdom ;  now  ignorance,  as  ye  caU  it,  shall 
sweep  away  science  ;  now  (saith  God),  humble,  child- 
like faith  shall  crumble  to  the  dust  all  the  colossal 
systems  your  hands  have  piled."  He  calls  his  war- 
riors. Christ  puts  his  trumpet  to  his  mouth,  and  up 
come  the  warriors,  clad  in  fishermen's  garb,  with  the 
brogue  of  the  lake  of  Galilee — ^poor  humble  mariners. 
Here  are  the  warriors,  O  wisdom,  that  are  to  confound 
thee ;  these  are  the  heroes  who  shall  overcome  thy 
proud  philosophers ;  these  men  are  to  plant  their 
standard  upon  thy  ruined  walls,  and  bid  them  fall 
forever ;  these  men  and  their  successors  are  to  exalt 


SPUEGEON  S   GEMS.  63 

a  gospel  in  the  world  which  ye  may  laugh  at  as  ab- 
surd, which  ye  may  sneer  at  as  folly,  but  which  shall 
be  exalted  above  the  hills,  and  shall  be  glorious  even 
to  the  highest  heavens. 


THERE  are  moments  when  the  eyes  glisten  with 
joy:  and  we  can  say,  "we  are  persuaded, 
confident,  certain."  I  do  not  wish  to  distress  any 
one  who  is  under  doubt.  Often  gloomy  doubts  will 
prevail ;  there  are  seasons  when  you  fear  you  have 
not  been  called,  when  you  doubt  your  interest  in 
Christ.  Ah !  what  a  mercy  it  is  that  it  is  not  your 
hold  of  Christ  that  saves  you,  but  his  hold  of  you ! 
"What  a  sweet  fact  that  it  is  not  how  you  grasp  his 
hand,  but  his  grasp  of  yours,  that  saves  you. 


THE  book  of  nature  is  an  expression  of  the 
thoughts  of  God.  We  have  God's  terrible 
thoughts  in  the  thunder  and  lightning ;  God's  loving 
thoughts  in  the  sunshine  and  the  balmy  breeze ; 
God's  bounteous,  prudent,  careful  thoughts  in  the 
waving  harvest  and  in  the  ripening  meadow.  "We 
have  God's  brilliant  thoughts  in  the  wondrous  scenes 
which  are  beheld  from  mountain-top  and  valley  ;  and 
we  have  God's  most  sweet  and  pleasant  thoughts  of 
beauty  in  the  Httle  flowers  that  blossom  at  our  feet. 


64  spuegeon's  gems. 

IKECOLLECT  standing  on  a  seashore  once,  upon 
a  narrow  neck  of  land,  thoughtless  that  the  tide 
might  come  up.  The  tide  kept  continually  washing 
up  on  either  side,  and,  wrapped  in  thoughts,  I  still 
stood  there,  until  at  last  there  was  the  greatest  diffi- 
culty in  getting  on  shore.  You  and  I  stand  each  day 
on  a  narrow  neck,  and  there  is  one  wave  coming  up 
there ;  see,  how  near  it  is  to  your  foot ;  and  lo ! 
another  follows  at  every  tick  of  the  clock ;  "  our 
hearts,  like  muffled  drums,  are  beating  funeral 
marches  to  the  tomb." 


•  •  • 


A 


MAETYE  is  going  to  the  stake ;  the  halbert 
men  are  around  him  ;  the  crowds  are  mocking, 
but  he  is  marching  steadily  on.  See,  they  bind  him, 
with  a  chain  around  his  middle,  to  the  stake ;  they  heap 
fagots  all  about  him  ;  the  flame  is  lighted  up  ;  listen 
to  his  words :  "  Bless  the  Lord  O  my  soul,  and  all  that 
is  within  me,  bless  his  holy  name."  The  flames  are 
kindling  round  his  legs  ;  the  fire  is  burning  him  even 
to  the  bone ;  see  him  lift  up  his  hands  and  say,  "  I  know 
that  my  Eedeemer  liveth,  and  though  the  fire  devour 
this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I  see  the  Lord."  Behold 
him  clutch  the  stake  and  kiss  it,  as  if  he  loved  it,  and 
hear  him  say,  "  For  every  chain  of  iron  that  man 
girdeth  me  with,  God  shall  give  to  me  a  chain  of 


spurgeon's  gems.  66 

gold  ;  for  all  these  fagots,  and  this  ignominy  and 
shame,  he  shall  increase  the  weight  of  my  eternal 
glory."  See  all  the  under  parts  of  his  body  are  con- 
sumed ;  still  he  lives  in  the  torture  ;  at  last  he  bows 
himself,  and  the  upper  part  of  his  body  falls  over ; 
and  as  he  falls  you  hear  him  say,  "  Into  thy  hands  I 
commend  my  spirit."  "What  wondrous  magic  was 
on  him,  sirs  ?  What  made  that  man  strong  ?  What 
helped  him  to  bear  that  cruelty  ?  What  made  him 
stand  unmoved  in  the  flames  ?  It  was  the  thing  of 
power;  it  was  the  cross  of  Jesus  crucified.  For 
"  unto  us  who  are  saved  it  is  the  power  of  God." 


THERE  have  been  many,  like  infants,  destroyed  by 
elixirs,  given  to  lull  them  to  sleep;  many  have 
been  ruined  by  the  cry  of  "peace,  peace,"  when 
there  is  no  peace ;  hearing  gentle  things,  when  they 
ought  to  be  stirred  to  the  quick.  Cleopatra's  asp  was 
brought  in  a  basket  of  flow^ers  ;  and  men's  ruin  often 
lurks  in  fair  and  sweet  speeches.  But  the  Holy 
Ghost's  comfort  is  safe,  and  you  may  rest  on  it.  Let 
him  speak  the  word,  and  there  is  a  reality  about  it ; 
let  him  give  the  cup  of  consolation,  and  you  may 
drink  it  to  the  bottom ;  for  in  its  depths  there  are 
no  dregs,  nothing  to  intoxicate  or  ruin;  it  is  aU 
safe. 


66  spurgeon's  gems. 

THE  gospel  is  tlie  sum  of  wisdom ;  an  epitome  of 
knowledge ;  a  treasure-house  of  truth ;  and  a 
revelation  of  mysterious  secrets.  In  it  we  see  how 
justice  and  mercy  may  be  mamed  ;  here  w^e  behold 
inexorable  law  entirely  satisfied,  and  sovereign  love 
bearing  aw^ay  the  sinner  in  triumph.  Our  medita- 
tion upon  it  enlarges  the  mind ;  and  as  it  opens  to 
our  soul  in  successive  flashes  of  glory,  we  stand  as- 
tonished at  the  profound  wisdom  manifest  in  it.  Ah, 
dear  friends !  if  ye  seek  wisdom,  ye  shall  see  it  dis- 
played in  all  its  greatness  ;  not  in  the  balancing  of 
the  clouds,  nor  the  firmness  of  earth's  foundations  ; 
not  in  the  measured  march  of  the  armies  of  the  sky, 
nor  in  the  perpetual  motions  of  the  waves  of  the  sea ; 
not  in  vegetation  with  all  its  fairy  forms  of  beauty, 
nor  in  the  animal  with  its  marvellous  tissue  of 
nerve,  and  vein,  and  sinew ;  nor  even  in  man,  that 
last  and  loftiest  work  of  the  Creator.  But  turn  aside 
and  see  this  great  sight ! — an  incarnate  God  upon  the 
cross ;  a  substitute  atoning  for  mortal  guilt ;  a  sacrifice 
satisfying  the  vengeance  of  Heaven,  and  delivering 
the  rebellious  sinner.  Here  is  essential  wisdom  ;  en- 
throned, crowned,  glorified.  Admire,  ye  men  of 
earth,  if  ye  be  not  blind;  and  ye  who  glory  in  your 
learning  bend  your  heads  in  reverence,  and  own  that 
all  your  skill  could  not  have  devised  a  gospel  at  once 
BO  just  to  God,  so  safe  to  man. 


spuegeon's  gems.  67 

WHAT  is  it  that  makes  tlie  young  man  devote 
himself,  as  a  missionary,  to  the  cause  of  God,  to 
leave  father  and  mother,  and  go  into  distant  lands  ? 
It  is  a  thing  of  j)ower  that  does  it ;  it  is  the  gospel. 
What  is  it  that  constrains  yonder  minister,  in  the 
midst  of  cholera,  to  climb  up  that  creaking  staircase, 
and  stand  by  the  bed  of  some  dying  creature  who  has 
that  dire  disease  ?     It  must  be  a  thing  of  power  which 
leads  him  to  venture  his  life  ;   it  is  love  of  the  cross 
of  Christ  which  bids  him  do  it.     What  is  that  which 
enables  one  man  to  stand  up  before  a  multitude  of 
his  fellows,  all  unprepared  it  may  be,  but  determined 
that  he  will  speak  nothing  but  Christ,  and  him  cruci- 
fied ?     What  is  it  that  enables  him  to  cry,  like  the 
war  horse  of  Job,  in  battle.  Aha !  and  move  glorious 
in  might  ?     It  is  a  thing  of  power  that  do  es  it :  it  is 
Christ  crucified.     And  what   emboldens  that  timid 
female  to  walk  down  that  dark  lane  some  wet  even- 
ing, that  she  may  go  and  sit  beside  the  victim  of  a 
contagious    fever?      What    strengthens    her  to   go 
through  that  den  of  thieves,  and  pass  by  the  profli- 
gate and  profane  ?      What  influences  her  to   enter 
into  that  charnel  house  of  death,  and  there  sit  down 
and  wliisper  words  of  comfort?     Does  gold  make  her 
do  it  ?     They  are  too  poor  to  give  her  gold.    .Does 
fame  make  her  do  it  ?     She  shall  never  be  known  nor 
written   among  the   mighty   women   of  this   earth. 


6-8  spurgeon's  gems. 

What  makes  her  do  it?  Is  it  love  of  merit?  'No  ; 
she  knows  she  lias  no  desert  before  high  heaven. 
What  impels  her  to  it  ?  It  is  the  power,  the  thing  of 
power ;  it  is  the  cross  of  Christ :  she  loves  it,  and  she 
therefore  says, 

"  Were  the  whole  realm  of  nature  mine, 
That  were  a  present  far  too  small ; 
Love  so  amazing,  so  divine, 
Demands  my  soul,  my  life,  my  all." 


OYOUKG  man,  build  thy  studio  on  Calvary ! 
there  raise  thine  observatory,  and  scan  by  faith 
the  lofty  things  of  nature.  Take  thee  a  hermit's  cell 
in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  and  lave  thy  brow  with 
the  waters  of  Siloa.  Let  the  Bible  be  thy  standard 
classic — thy  last  appeal  in  matters  of  contention.  Let 
its  light  be  thine  illumination,  and  thou  shalt  become 
more  wise  than  Plato,  more  truly  learned  than  the 
seven  sages  of  antiquity. 


OMAIST !  of  all  fools,  a  fool  with  a  grey  head  is  the 
worst  fool  anywhere.  With  one  foot  in  the 
grave,  and  another  foot  on  a  sandy  foundation,  how 
shall  I  depict  you,  but  by  saying  to  you  as  God 
said .  to  the  rich  man,  "  Thou  fool !  a  few  more 
nights  and  thy  soul  shall  be  required  of  thee  ;"  and 
then  where  art  thou  ? 


spukgeon's  gems.  ^9* 

WHEN"  the  Gospel  was  first  preached,  instead  of 
ing  accepted  and  admired,  one  universal 
hiss  went  up  to  heaven ;  men  could  not  bear  it ;  its 
first  preacher  they  dragged  to  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and 
would  have  sent  him  down  headlong ;  yea,  they  did 
more — they  nailed  him  to  the  cross,  and  there  they 
let  him  languish  out  his  dying  life  in  agony  such  as 
no  man  hath  borne  since.  All  his  chosen  ministers 
have  been  hated  and  abhorred  by  worldlings  ;  instead 
of  being  listened  to,  they  have  been  scoffed  at; 
treated  as  if  they  were  the  offscouring  of  all  things, 
and  the  very  scum  of  mankind.  Look  at  the  holy 
men  in  the  old  times,  how  they  were  driven  from 
city  to  city,  persecuted,  afflicted,  tormented,  stoned 
to  deatli,  wherever  the  enemy  had  power  to  do  so. 
Tliose  friends  of  men,  those  real  philanthropists,  who 
came  witli  hearts  big  with  love,  and  hands  full  of 
mercy,  and  lips  pregnant  with  celestial  fire,  and  souls 
tliat  burned  with  holy  influence ;  those  men  were 
treated  as  if  they  were  spies  in  the  camp,  as  if  they 
were  deserters  from  the  common  cause  of  mankind ; 
as  if  they  were  enemies,  and  not,  as  they  truly  were, 
the  best  of  friends.  Do  not  suj)pose  that  men  like 
the  gospel  any  better  now  than  they  did  then.  There 
is  an  idea  that  you  are  growing  better.  I  Ho  not  be- 
lieve it.  You  are  growing  worse.  In  many  respects 
men  may  be  better — outwardly  better;  but  the  heart 


70  spurgeon's  gems. 

witliin  is  still  the  same.  The  human  heart  of  to-day 
dissected,  would  be  just  like  the  human  heart  a  thou- 
sand years  ago ;  the  gall  of  bitterness  within  that 
breast  of  yours,  is  just  as  bitter  as  the  gall  of  bitter- 
ness in  that  of  Simon  of  old.  We  have  in  our  hearts 
the  same  latent  opposition  to  the  truth  of  God;  and 
hence  we  find  men,  even  as  of  old,  who  scorn  the 

gospel. 

•-•-• — 

IF  you  feel  at  any  time  "  death  working  in  you," 
as  doubtless  you  will,  withering  the  bloom  of 
your  piety,  chilling  the  fervor  of  your  devotions,  and 
quenching  the  ardor  of  your  faith,  remember,  he 
who  first  quickened  you  must  keep  you  alive.  The 
Spirit  of  God  is  like  the  sap  that  flowed  into  your 
poor  dry  branch,  because  you  were  grafted  into 
Christ,  and  as  by  that  sap  you  were  first  made 
green  with  life,  so  it  is  by  that  sap  alone  you  can 
ever  bring  forth  fruit  to  God. 


WHEN  thou  art  wrestling,  like  Jacob  with  the 
angel,  and  art  nearly  thrown  down,  ask  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  nerve  thine  arm.  Consider  how  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  the  chariot-wheel  of  prayer.  Prayer 
may  be  the  chariot,  the  desire  may  draw  it  forth, 
but  the  Spirit  is  the  very  wheel  whereby  it  moveth. 


SPUEGEON  S    GEMS.  71 

A  GOSPEL  without  a  Trinity !  it  is  a  pyramid  built 
upon  its  apex,  A  gospel  without  the  Trinity  ! 
it  is  a  rope  of  sand  that  cannot  hold  together.  A 
gosjDel  without  the  Trinity  !  then,  indeed,  Satan  can 
overturn  it.  But,  give  me  a  gospel  with  the  Trinity, 
and  the  might  of  hell  cannot  prevail  against  it ;  no 
man  can  any  more  overthrow  it  than  a  bubble  could 
split  a  rock,  or  a  feather  break  in  halves  a  mountain. 
Get  the  thought  of  the  three  persons,  and  you  have 
the  marrow  of  all  divinity.  *  Only  know  the  Father, 
and  know  the  Son,  and  know  the  Holy  Ghost  to  be 
one,  and  all  things  will  appear  clear.  This  is  the 
golden  key  to  the  secrets  of  nature ;  this  is  the  silken 
clue  of  the  labyrinths  of  mystery,  and  he  who  under- 
stands this,  will  soon  understand  as  much  as  mortals 
e'er  can  know. 


YOIJ  know  more  about  your  ledgers  than  your 
Bible ;  you  know  more  about  your  day-books 
than  what  God  has  written ;  many  of  you  will  read  a 
novel  from  beginning  to  end,  and  what  have  you 
got  ?  A  mouthful  of  froth  when  you  have  done. 
But  you  cannot  read  the  Bible ;  that  solid,  lasting, 
substantial,  and  satisfying  food  goes  uneaten,  locked 
up  in  the  cupboard  of  neglect ;  while  anything  that 
man  writes,  a  catch  of  the  day,  is  greedily  devoured. 


72  8purgeon's  gems. 

TEDE  science  of  Jesus  Clirist  is  tlie  most  excellent 
of  sciences.  Let  no  one  turn  away  from  tlie 
Bible  because  it  is  not  a  book  of  learning  and  wis- 
dom. It  is.  Would  ye  know  astronomy  ?  It  is 
here :  it.  tells  you  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  and 
the  Star  of  Bethlehem.  Would  you  know  botany  ? 
It  is  here :  it  tells  you  of  the  j)lant  of  renown — the 
Lily  of  the  Yalley,  and  the  Rose  of  Sharon.  Would 
you  know  geology  and  mineralogy  ?  You  shall  learn 
it  here  :  for  you  may  read  of  the  Rock  of  Ages,  and 
the  White  Stone  with  the  name  engraven  thereon, 
which  no  man  knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it. 
Would  ye  study  history  ?  Here  is  the  most  ancient 
of  all  the  records  of  the  history  of  the  human  race. 
WTiate'er  your  science  is,  come  and  bend  o'er  this 
book  ;  your  science  is  here.  Come  and  drink  out  of 
this  fair  fount  of  knowledge  and  wisdom,  and  ye 
shall  find  yourselves  made  wise  unto  salvation. 


HAST  thou  now  a  sweet  temper,  whereas  thou  once 
wast  passionate ?  Boast  not  of  it;  thou  wilt  be 
angry  yet  again  if  he  leaves  thee.  Art  thou  now 
pure,  whereas  thou  wast  once  unclean  ?  Boast  not  of 
thy  purity ;  it  is  a  plant,  the  seed  of  which  was 
brought  from  heaven  ;  it  never  was  within  thy  heart 
by  nature ;  it  is  of  God's  gift,  and  God's  alone. 


spurgeon's  gems.  73 

OUE  world  has  two  forces ;  it  has  one  tendency  to 
run  off  at  a  tangent  from  its  orbit ;  but  the  sun 
draws  it  by  a  centrij)etal  power,  and  attracts  it  to 
itself,  and  so  between  the  two  forces  it  is  kept  in  a 
perj^etual  circle.  Oh !  Christian,  thou  wilt  never 
walk  aright,  and  keep  in  the  orbit  of  truth,  if  it  be 
not  for  the  influence  of  Christ  perpetually  attracting 
thee  to  the  centre.  Thou  feelest,  and  if  thou  dost 
not  feel  always,  it  is  still  there — thou  feelest  an 
attraction  between  thine  heart  and  Christ, -and  Christ 
is  perpetually  drawing  thee  to  himself,  to  his  likeness, 
to  his  character,  to  his  love,  to  his  bosom,  and  in 
that  way  thou  art  kept  from  thy  natural  tendency  to 
fly  off  and  to  be  lost  in  the  wide  fields  of  sin.  Bless 
God,  that  Christ  lifted  up  draws  all  his  people  unto 
him  in  that  fashion. 


DO  you  see  the  cat  ?  She  sits  there,  and  will  lick 
her  paws  and  wash  herself  clean.  I  see  that, 
said  the  other.  Well,  said  the  first  speaker,  did  you 
ever  hear  of  one  of  the  hogs  taken  out  of  the  sty  that 
did  so  ?  No,  said  he.  But  he  could  if  he  liked,  said 
the  other.  Ah  !  verily  he  could  if  he  liked ;  but  it 
is  not  according  to  his  nature,  and  you  never  saw 
such  a  thing  done,  and  until  you  have  changed  the 
swine's  nature,  he  cannot  perform  such  a  good  action, 
and  God's  word  says  the  same  of  man. 

4 


74  spuegeon's  gems. 

CAST  your  troubles  wliere  you  have  cast  your  sins ; 
you  have  cast  your  sins  into  the  depth  of  the  sea, 
there  cast  your  troubles  also.  ]^ever  keep  a  trouble 
half  an  hour  on  your  own  mind  before  you  tell  it  to 
God.  As  soon  as  the  trouble  comes,  quick,  the  first 
thing,  tell  it  to  your  father.  Remember,  that  the 
longer  you  take  telling  your  trouble  to  God,  the  more 
your  peace  will  be  impaired.  The  longer  the  frost 
lasts,  the  more  likely  the  ponds  will  be  frozen. 


HOW  wise  the  Holy  Spirit  is !  he  takes  the  soul, 
lays  it  on  the  table,  and  dissects  it  in  a  moment ; 
he  finds  out  the  root  of  the  matter,  he  sees  where  the 
complaint  is,  and  then  he  applies  the  knife  where 
something  is  required  to  be  taken  away,  or  puts  a 
plaster  where  the  sore  is  ;  and  he  never  mistakes.  O, 
how  wise  is  the  blessed  Holy  Ghost;  from  every 
comforter  I  turn  and  leave  them  all,  for  thou  art  he 
who  alone  givest  the  wisest  consolation. 


CULTIVATE  a  cheerful  disposition ;  endeavor,  as 
much  as  lieth  in  you,  always  to  bear  a  smile 
about  with  you ;  recollect  that  this  is  as  much  a  com- 
mand of  God  as  that  one  which  says,  "  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  with  all  thy  heart." 


spukgeon's  gems.'  75 

CHUIST  JESUS  was  an  attractive  preaclier ;  lie 
.soiiglit  above  all  means  to  set  the  pearl  in  a 
frame  of  gold,  that  it  might  attract  the  attention  of 
the  people.  He  was  not  willing  to  place  himself  in 
a  parish  chnrch,  and  preach  to  a  large  congregation 
of  thirteen  and  a-half,  like  our  good  brethren  in  the 
city,  bnt  would  preach  in  snch  a  style  that  people 
felt  they  must  go  to  hear  him.  Some  of  them 
gnashed  their  teeth  in  rage  and  left  his  presence  in 
wrath,  but  the  multitudes  still  thronged  to  him  to 
hear  and  to  be  healed.  It  was  no  dull  work  to  hear 
this  King  of  preachers,  he  was  too  much  in  earnest 
to  be  dull,  and  too  humane  to  be  incomprehensible. 


•  •  • 


rwas  once  said  by  Solon,  "  ISTo  man  ought  to  be 
called  a  happy  man  till  he  dies,"  because  he 
does  not  know  what  his  life  is  to  be ;  but  Christ- 
ians may  always  call  themselves  haj)py  men  here, 
because  wherever  their  tent  is  carried,  they  can- 
not pitch  it  where  the  cloud  does  not  move,  and 
where  they  are  not  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  fire. 
"  I  will  be  a  wall  of  fire  round  about  them,  and 
their  glory  in  the  midst."  They  cannot  dwell  where 
God  is  not  householder,  warder,  and  bulwark  of  sal- 
vation. 

"  All  my  ways  shall  ever  be 
Order'd  by  His  wise  decree." 


76  spukgeon's  gems. 

OH !  je  tliat  are  not  Christians,  it  were  worth 
while  to  be  Christians,  if  it  were  only  for  the 
peace  and  happiness  that  religion  gives.  If  we  had 
to  die  like  dogs,  yet  this  religion  were  worth  having 
to  make  ns  live  here  like  angels.  Oh,  if  the  grave 
were  what  it  seems  to  be,  the  goal  of  all  existence, 
if  the  black  nails  of  the  coffin  were  not  bright  -with 
stars,  if  death  were  the  end  and  our  lamps  were 
quenched  in  darkness,  when  it  was  said,  "  Dust  to 
dust  and  earth  to  earth  ;"  yet  'twere  worth  while  to 
be  a  child  of  God,  only  to  live  here. 


-•-♦- 


¥E  dream  of  everything  in  the  world,  and  a  few 
things  more !  If  we  were  asked  to  tell  our 
dreams,  it  would  be  impossible.  You  dream  that 
you  are  at  a  feast ;  lo !  the  viands  change  into  a 
Pegasus,  and  you  are  riding  through  the  air;  or, 
again,  suddenly  transformed  into  a  morsel  for  a 
monster's  meal.  Such  is  life.  The  changes  occur 
as  suddenly  as  they  happen  in  a  dream.  Men  have 
been  rich  one  day,  they  have  been  beggars  the  next. 
We  have  witnessed  the  exile  of  monarchs,  and  the 
flight  of  a  potentate  :  or,  in  another  direction,  we 
have  seen  a  man,  neither  reputable  nor  honorable 
in  station,  at  a  single  stride  exalted  to  a  throne ; 
and  you  who  would  have  shunned  him  in  the  streets 


spuegeon's  gems.  77 

before,  were  foolish  enongli  to  tlirong  yonr  thoroiigli- 
fares  to  stare  at  hini.  Ah  !  siicli  is  life.  Leaves 
of  the  Sibyl  were  not  more  easily  moved  by  the 
winds,  nor  are  dreams  more  variable :  "  Boast  not 
thyself  of  to-morrow,  for  thon  knowest  not  what  a 
day  may  bring  forth." 

— »»> 


BETTEE  have  two  lights  than  only  one.  The  light 
of  creation  is  a  bright  light.  God  may  be  seen 
in  the  stars ;  his  name  is  written  in  gilt  letters  on  the 
brow  of  night ;  yon  may  discover  his  glory  in  the 
ocean  waves,  yea,  in  the  trees  of  the  field ;  but  it  is 
better  to  read  it  in  two  books  than  in  one.  You  will 
find  it  here  more  clearly  revealed ;  for  he  has  written 
this  book  himself,  and  he  has  given  you  the  key  to 
understand  it,  if  you  have  the  Holy  Spirit.  Ah,  be- 
loved, let  us  thank  God  for  this  Bible ;  let  us  love  it ; 
let  us  count  it  more  precious  than  much  fine  gold. 


HOW  foolish  are  those  men  who  wish  to  pry 
into  futurity ;  the  telescope  is  ready,  and  they 
are  looking  through  ;  but  they  are  so  anxious  to  see, 
that  they  breathe  on  the  glass  with  their  hot  breath, 
and  they  dim  it,  so  that  they  can  discern  nothing  but 
clouds  and  darkness. 


78  '  spukgeon's  gems. 

EYEEY  now  and  then  we  turn  up  a  fair  stone  wMcli 
lies  upon  tlie  greeensward  of  the  professing 
cliui'cli,  surrounded  with  the  verdure  of  apparent 
goodness,  and  to  our  astonishment  we  find  beneath 
all  kinds  of  filthy  insects  and  loathsome  reptiles,  and 
in  our  disgust  at  such  hypocrisy,  we  are  driven  to 
exclaim,  "  All  men  are  liars ;  there  are  none  in  whom 
we  can  put  any  trust  at  all."  It  is  not  fair  to  say  so 
of  all ;  but  really,  the  discoveries  which  are  made  of 
the  insincerity  of  our  fellow  creatures  are  enough  to 
make  us  despise  our  kind,  because  they  can  go  so  far 
in  appearances,  and  yet  have  so  little  soundness  of 
heart. 


•  •• 


OUR  Bible  is  a  blood-stained  book.  The  blood  of 
martyrs  is  on  the  Bible,  the  blood  of  trans- 
lators and  confessors.  The  pool  of  holy  baptism  in 
which  ye  have  been  baptized  is  a  blood-stained  pool : 
full  many  have  had  to  die  for  the  vindication  of  that 
baptism  which  is  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience 
towards  God.  The  doctrines  which  we  preach  to 
you  are  doctrines  that  have  been  baptized  in  blood — 
swords  have  been  drawn  to  slay  the  confessors  of 
them ;  and  there  is  not  a  truth  which  has  not  been 
sealed  by  them  at  the  stake,  or  the  block,  or  far 
away  on  the  lofty  mountains,  where  they  have  been 
slain  by  hundreds. 


SPUIiGEON's   GEMS.  79 

GOD  miglitj  if  lie  jDleasecI,  wrap  liimself  with  night 
as  with   a  garment ;    he   might  put  the   stars 
around  his  wrist  for  bracelets,  and  bind  the  suns 
around  his  brow  for   a   coronet ;  he   might  dwell 
alone,  far,  far  above  this  world,  up  in  the  seventh 
heaven,  and  look  down  with  calm  and  silent  indiffe- 
rence upon  all  the  doings  of  his  creatures  ;  he  might 
do  as  the  heathens  supposed  their  Jove  did,  sit  in 
perpetual  silence,  sometimes  nodding  his  awful  head 
to  make  the  fates  move  as  he  pleased,  but  never 
taking  thought  of  the  little  things  of  earth,  disposing 
of  them  as  beneath  his  notice,  engrossed  within  his 
own  being,    swallowed   up   within    himself,   living 
alone  and  retired;   and  I,  as  one  of  his  creatures, 
might  stand  by  night  upon  a  mountain-toj),  and  look 
upon  the  silent  stars  and  say,  "  Ye  are  the  eyes  of 
God,  but  ye  look  not  down  on  me  ;  your  light  is  the 
gift  of  his  omnipotence,  but  your  rays  are  not  smiles 
of  love  to  me.     God,  the  mighty  Creator,  has  for- 
gotten me ;  I  am  a  despicable  drop  in  the  ocean  of 
creation,  a  sear-leaf  in  the  forest  of  beings,  an  atom 
in  the  mountain  of  existence.     He  knows  me  not ;  I 
am  alone,  alone,  alone."     But  it  is  not  so,  beloved. 
Our  God  is  of  another  order.     He  notices  every  one 
of  us ;  there  is  not  a  sparrow  or  a  worm  but  is  found 
in  his  decrees.     There  is  not  a  person  upon  whom 
his   eye  is  not  fixed.      Our  most  secret  acts   are 


80  spuegeon's  gems. 

known  to  liim.  "Whatsoever  we  do,  or  bear,  or 
suffer,  tlie  eye  of  God  still  rests  upon  iis,  and  we  are 
beneath  his  smile — ^for  we  are  his  people ;  or 
beneath  his  frown — ^for  we  have  erred  from  him. 


k 


NY  husbandman  can  get  a  good  crop  out  of 
good  soil ;  but  God  is  the  husbandman  who  can 
grow  cedars  on  rocks,  who  can  not  only  put  the 
hyssop  upon  the  wall,  but  put  the  oak  there  too, 
and  make  the  greatest  faith  spring  up  in  the  most 
unlikely  position.  All  glory  to  his  grace !  the  great 
sinner  may  become  great  in  faith.  Be  of  good 
cheer,  then,  sinner !  If  Christ  should  make  thee 
repent,  thou  hast  no  need  to  think  that  thou  shalt  be 
the  least  in  the  family.  Oh  !  no  ;  thy  name  may  yet 
be  written  among  the  mightiest  of  the  mighty,  and 
thou  mayest  stand  as  a  memorable  and  triumphant 
instance  of  the  power  of  faith. 


I 


F  we  look  on  a  thing  in  the  dark,  we  cannot  see 
it ;  but  we  have  done  what  we  were  told.  So,  if 
a  sinner  only  looks  to  Jesus,  he  will  save  him ;  for 
Jesus  in  the  dark  is  as  good  as  Jesus  in  the  light ; 
and  Jesus,  when  you  cannot  see  him,  in  as  good  as 
Jesus  when  you  can. 


SPIJEGEON  S   GEMS.  81 

THERE  was  an  evil  hour  when  once  I  shipped  the 
anchor  of  mj  faith  ;  I  cut  the  cable  of  my  be- 
lief ;  I  no  longer  moored  myself  hard  by  the  coasts 
of  Revelation ;  I  allowed  my  vessel  to  drift  before 
the  wind  ;  I  said  to  reason,  "  Be  thon  my  captain ;" 
I  said  to  my  own  brain,  "  Be  thou  my  rudder  ;"  and 
I  started  on  my  mad  voyage.  Thank  God,  it  is  all 
over  now  ;  but  I  will  tell  you  its  brief  history.  It 
was  one  hurried  sailing  over  the  tempestuous  ocean 
of  free  thought.  I  went  on,  and  as  I  went,  the  skies 
began  to  darken ;  but  to  make  up  for  that  deficiency, 
the  waters  were  brilliant  with  coruscations  of  bril- 
liancy. I  saw  sparks  flying  upward  that  pleased  me, 
and  I  thought,  "  If  this  be  free  thought,  it  is  a  happy 
thing."  My  thoughts  seemed  gems,  and  I  scattered 
stars  with  both  my  hands  ;  but  anon,  instead  of  these 
coruscations  of  glory,  I  saw  grim  fiends,  fierce  and 
horrible,  start  up  from  the  waters,  and  as  I  dashed 
on,  they  gnashed  their  teeth,  and  grinned  upon  me  ; 
they  seized  the  prow  of  my  ship  and  dragged  me  on, 
while  I,  in  part,  glorified  at  the  rapidity  of  my  m'o- 
tion,  but  yet  shuddered  at  the  terrific  rate  with 
which  I  passed  the  old  land-marks  of  my  faith.  As  I 
hurried  forward  with  an  awful  speed,  I  began  to 
doubt  my  very  existence  ;  I  doubted  if  there  were  a 
world,  I  doubted  if  there  were  such  a  thing  as  my- 
self.  I  went  to  the  very  verge  of  the  dreamy  realms  of 

4* 


82  spuegeon's  gems. 

unbelief.  I  went  to  the  ver j  bottom  of  the  sea  of  Infi- 
delity. I  doubted  everything.  But  here  the  devil 
foiled  himself:  for  the  very  extravagance  of  the 
doubt,  proved  its  absurdity.  Just  when  I  saw  the 
bottom  of  that  sea,  there  came  a  voice  which  said, 
"And  can  this  doubt  be  trne?"  At  this  very 
thought  I  awoke.  I  started  from  that  death-dream, 
which,  God  knows,  might  have  damned  my  soul,  and 
ruined  this,  my  body,  if  I  had  not  awoke.  When  I 
arose,  faith  took  the  helm ;  from  that  moment  I 
doubted  not.  Faith  steered  me  back ;  faith  cried, 
"  Away,  away  !"  I  cast  my  anchor  on  Calvary  ;  I 
lifted  my  eye  to  God ;  and  here  I  am,  "  alive,  and 
out  of  hell." 


THIS  world  is  turning  round  on  its  axis  once  in 
four-and-twenty  hours;  and  besides  that,  it  is 
moving  round  the  sun  in  the  365  days  of  the  year. 
So  that  we  are  all  moving ;  we  are  all  flitting  along 
through  space.  And  as  we  are  travelling  through 
space,  so  we  are  moving  through  time  at  an  incalcu- 
lable rate.  Oh !  what  an  idea  it  is  could  we  grasp 
it !  We  are  all  being  carried  along  as  if  by  a  giant 
angel,  with  broad  outstretched  wings,  which  he  flaps 
to  the  blast,  and  flying  before  the  lightning,  makes 
us  ride  on  the  winds.  The  whole  multitude  of  us  are 
hurrying  along — ^whither,  remains  to  be  decided  by 


SPTIEGEON'S    GEMS.  83 

the  test  of  our  faitli  and  tlie  grace  of  God ;  but  cer- 
tain it  is,  we  are  all  travelling.  Do  not  think  that 
you  are  stable  things ;  fancy  not  that  you  are  stand- 
ing still;  you  are  not.  Your  pulses  each  moment 
beat  the  funeral  marches  to  the  tomb.  You  are 
chained  to  the  chariot  of  rolling  time ;  there  is  no 
bridling  the  steeds,  or  leaping  from  the  chariot ;  you 
must  be  constantly  in  motion. 


C  HEIST  is  the  chariot  in  which  souls  are  drawn  to 
heaven.  The  people  of  the  Lord  are  on  their 
way  to  heaven,  they  are  carried  in  everlasting  arms ; 
and  those  arms  are  the  arms  of  Christ.  Christ  is  car- 
rying them  up  to  his  own  house,  to  his  own  throne ; 
by  and  by  his  prayer — "Father,  I  will  that  they, 
whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me  where  I  am," 
shall  be  wholly  fulfilled.  And  it  is  fulfilling  now, 
for  he  is  like  a  strong  courser  drawing  his  children  in 
the  chariot  of  the  covenant  of  grace  unto  himself. 
Oh  !  blessed  be  God,  the  cross  is  the  plank  on  which 
we  swim  to  heaven  ;  the  cross  is  the  great  covenant 
transport  which  will  weather  out  the  storms,  and 
reach  its  desired  heaven.  This  is  the  chariot,  the  pil- 
lars wherewith  are  of  gold,  and  the  bottom  thereof 
silver,  it  is  lined  with  the  purple  of  the  atonement 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 


84:  »     spijkgeon's  gems. 

THE  Bible  is  the  writing  of  the  living  God :  each 
letter  was  penned  with  an  Almighty  finger ; 
each  word  in  it  dropped  from  the  everlasting  lips ; 
each  sentence  was  dictated  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Albeit,  that  Moses  was  employed  to  wi-ite  his  his- 
tories with  his  fiery  pen,  God  gnided  that  pen.  It 
may  be  that  David  touched  his  harp,  and  let  sweet 
Psalms  of  melody  drop  from  his  fingers ;  but  God 
moved  his  hands  over  the  living  strings  of  his  golden 
harp.  It  may  be  that  Solomon  sang  canticles  of 
love,  or  gave  forth  words  of  consummate  wisdom, 
but  God  directed  his  lips,  and  made  the  preacher 
eloquent.  If  I  follow  the  thundering  ISTahum,  when 
his  horses  plough  the  waters,  or  Habakkuk,  when  he 
sees  the  tents  of  Cushan  in  affliction ;  if  I  read 
Malachi,  when  the  earth  is  burning  like  an  oven  ;  if 
I  turn  to  the  smooth  page  of  John,  who  tells  of  love, 
or  the  rugged,  fiery  chapters  of  Peter,  who  speaks 
of  fire  devouring  God's  enemies ;  If  I  turn  to  Jude, 
who  launches  forth  anathemas  upon  the  foes  of  God, 
everywhere  I  find  God  speaking ;  it  is  God's  voice, 
not  man's ;  the  words  are  God's  words,  the  ■  words 
of  the  Eternal,  the  Invisible,  the  Almighty,  the 
Jehovah  of  this  earth.  This  Bible  is  God's  Bible, 
and  when  I  see  it,  I  seem  to  hear  a  voice  springing 
up  from  it,  saying,  "  I  am  the  book  of  God ;  man, 
read  me.     I  am  God's  writing  ;  open  my  leaf,  for  I 


spurgeon's  gems.  85 

was  penned  by  God ;  read  it,  for  lie  is  my  author, 
and  you  will  see  liim  visible  and  manifest  every- 
where." ''I  have  written  to  him  the  great  things  of 
my  law." 

APILGEIM  sets  out  in  the  morning,  and  he 
has  to  journey  many  a  day  before  he  gets  to 
the  shrine  which  he  seeks.  What  varied  scenes 
the  traveller  will  behold  on  his  way!  Sometimes 
he  will  be  on  the  mountains,  anon  he  will  descend 
into  the  valleys ;  here  he  will  be  where  the  brooks 
shine  like  silver,  where  the  bird's  warble,  where  the 
air  is  balmy,  and  the  trees  are  green,  and  luscious 
fruits  hang  down  to  gratify  his  taste  ;  anon  he  will 
find  himself  in  the  arid  desert,  where  no  life  is 
found,  and  no  sound  is  heard,  except  the  screech  of 
the  wild  eagle  in  the  air,  where  he  finds  no  rest  for 
the  sole  of  his  foot — the  burning  sky  above  him,  and 
the  hot  sand  beneath  him — ^no  roof-tree,  and  no 
house  to  rest  himself ;  at  another  time  he  finds  him- 
self in  a  sweet  oasis,  resting  himself  by  the  wells  of 
water,  and  plucking  fruit  from  palm  trees.  One 
moment  he  walks  between  the  rocks  in  some  narrow 
gorge,  where  all  is  darkness ;  at  another  time  he 
ascends  the  hill,  Mizar ;  now  he  descends  into  the 
valley  of  Baca ;  anon  he  climbs  the  hill  of  Bashan, 
"  a  high  hill  is  the  hill  Bashan ;"   and  yet  again 


86  SPUEGEON  8   GEMS. 

going  into  a  den  of  leopards,  he  suffers  trial  and 
affliction.  Sucli  is  life — ever  changing.  Who  can 
tell  what  may  come  next?  To-day  it  is  fair,  the 
next  day  there  may  be  the  thundering  storm  ;  to-day 
I  may  want  for  nothing,  to-morrow  I  may  be  like 
Jacob,  with  nothing  but  a  stone  for  my  pillow,  and  the 
heavens  for  my  curtains.  But  what  a  happy  thought 
it  is,  though  we  know  not  where  the  road  winds,  we 
know  where  it  ends.  It  is  the  straightest  way  to 
heaven  to  go  round  about.  Israel's  forty  years'  wan- 
derings were,  after  all,  the  nearest  path  to  Canaan. 
"We  may  have  to  go  through  trial  and  affliction ;  the 
pilgrimage  may  be  a  tiresome  one,  but  it  is  safe  ;  we 
cannot  trace  the  river  upon  which  we  are  sailing, 
but  we  know  it  ends  in  floods  of  bliss  at  last.  We  can- 
not track  the  roads,  but  we  know  that  they  all  meet 
in  the  great  metropolis  of  heaven,  in  the  centre  of 
God's  universe.  God  help  us  to  pursue  the  true  pil- 
grimage of  a  pious  life  ! 


TIIEEE  is  no  loss  in  being  a  Christian,  and  mak- 
ing God  the  first  object;  but  make  anything 
else  your  goal,  and  with  all  your  running,  should  you 
run  ever  so  well,  you  shall  fall  short  of  the  mark ; 
or  if  you  gain  it,  you  shall  fall  uncrowned,  unhonored 
to  the  earth.     "  My  soul,  wait  thou  only  upon  God." 


spurgeon's  gems.  87 

IF  it  would  take  me  seven  years  to  describe  the 
way  of  salvation,  I  am  sure  you  would  all  long  to 
hear  it.  K  only  one  learned  doctor  could  tell  the 
way  to  heaven,  how  would  he  be  run  after !  And  if 
it  were  in  hard  words,  with  a  few  scraps  of  Latin 
and  Greek,  it  would  be  all  the  better.  But  it  is  a 
simple  gospel  that  we  have  to  preach.  It  is  only 
"  Look  !"  "  Ah  !"  you  say,  "  is  that  the  gospel  ?  I 
shall  not  pay  any  attention  to  that."  But  wdiy  has 
God  ordered  you  to  do  such  a  simple  thing  ?  Just 
to  take  down  your  pride,  and  to  show  you  that  he  is 
God,  and  that  beside  him  there  is  none  else.  Oh, 
mark  how  simple  the  way  of  salvation  is.  It  is, 
"  Look !  look !  look !"  Four  letters,  and  two  of  them 
alike !  "  Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the 
ends  of  the  earth." 


■••  • 


FATTH  is  to  say,  that  "  mountains,  when  in  dark- 
ness hidden,  are  as  real  as  in  day."  Faith  is  to 
look  through  that  cloud,  not  with  the  eye  of  sight, 
which  seeth  naught,  but  with  the  eye  of  faith,  which 
seeth  everything,  and  to  say,  "  I  trust  him  when  1 
cannot  trace  him ;  I  tread  the  sea  as  firmly  as  I 
would  the  rock ;  I  walk  as  securely  in  the  tempest 
as  in  the  sunshine,  and  lay  myself  to  rest  upon  the 
surging  billows  of  the  ocean  as  contentedly  as  upon 
my  bed." 


88  SPUEGEON  S   GEMS. 

AS  a  man  does  not  make  himself  spiritually  alive, 
so  neither  can  he  keep  himself  so.  He  can 
feed  on  spiritual  food,  and  so  preserve  his  spiritual 
strength ;  he  can  walk  in  the  commandments  of  the 
Lord,  and  so  enjoy  rest  and  peace,  but  still  the  inner 
life  is  dependent  upon  the  Spirit  as  much  for  its  after 
existence  as  for  its  first  begetting.  I  do  verily  believe 
that  if  it  should  ever  be  my  lot  to  put  my  foot  upon 
the  golden  threshold  of  Paradise,  and  put  this  thumb 
upon  the  pearly  latch,  I  should  never  cross  the  thres- 
hold unless  I  had  grace  given  me  to  take  that  last 
step  whereby  I  might  enter  heaven.  "No  man  him- 
self, even  when  converted,  hath  any  power,  except  as 
that  power  is  daily,  constantly,  and  perpetually  in- 
fused into  him  by  the  spirit. 


OH !  it  is  a  happy  way  of  smoothing  sorrow,  when 
we  can  say,  "  We  will  wait  only  upon  God." 
Oh,  ye  agitated  Christians,  do  not  dishonor  your  re- 
ligion by  always  wearing  a  brow  of  care  ;  come,  cast 
your  burden  upon  the  Lord.  I  see  ye  staggering  be- 
neath a  weight  which  He  would  not  feel.  What 
seems  to  you  a  crushing  burden,  would  be  to  him  but 
as  the  small  dust  of  the  balance.  See  !  the  Almighty 
bends  his  shoulders,  and  he  says,  "  Here,  put  thy 
troubles  here." 


1 


spurgeon's  gems.  89 

OST  of  the  grand  truths  of  God  have  to  be 
learned  by  trouble ;  they  mnst  be  burned  into 
lis  with  the  hot  iron  of  affliction,  otherwise  we  shall 
not  truly  receive  them.  'No  man  is  competent  to 
judge  in  matters  of  the  kingdom,  until  first  he  has 
been  tried  ;  since  there  are  many  things  to  be  learned 
in  the  depths  which  we  can  never  know  in  the 
heights.  "VYe  discover  many  secrets  in  the  caverns 
of  the  ocean,  which,  though  we  had  soared  to  hea- 
ven, we  never  could  have  known.  He  shall  best 
meet  the  wants  of  God's  people  as  a  preacher  who 
has  had  those  wants  himself ;  he  shall  best  comfort 
God's  Israel  who  has  needed  comfort ;  and  he  shall 
best  preach  salvation  who  has  felt  his  own  need  of  it. 


IF  I  desired  to  put  myself  into  the  most  likely  place 
for  the  Lord  to  meet  with  me,  I  should  prefer  the 
house  of  prayer,  for  it  is  in  preaching,  that  the  "Word 
is  most  blessed ;  but  still  I  think  I  should  equally 
desire  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures ;  for  I  might 
pause  over  every  verse,  and  say,  "  Such  a  verse  was 
blessed  to  so  many  souls ;  then,  why  not  to  me  ?  I 
am  at  least  in  the  pool  of  Bethesda ;  I  am  walking 
amongst  its  porches,  and  who  can  tell  but  that  the 
angel  will  stir  the  pool  of  the  "Word,  whilst  I  lie  help- 
lessly by  the  side  of  it,  waiting  for  the  blessing  ?" 


90  spurgeon's  gems. 

OH!  it  is  not  some  hectic  flush  upon  the  cheek 
of  consumptive  irresolution  that  God  counts  to 
be  the  health  of  obedience.  It  is  not  some  slight 
obedience  for  an  hour  that  God  will  accept  at  the 
day  of  judgment.  He  saith  "  continueth ;"  and 
unless  from  my  early  childhood  to  the  day  when 
my  grey  hairs  descend  into  the  tomb,  I  shall  have 
continued  to  be  obedient  to  God,  I  must  be  con- 
demned. Unless  I  have  from  the  first  dawn  of 
reason,  when  I  first  began  to  be  resj)onsible,  obedi- 
ently served  God,  until,  like  a  shock  of  corn,  I  am 
gathered  into  my  Master's  garner,  salvation  by 
works  must  be  impossible  to  me,  and  I  must  (stand- 
ing on  my  own  footing),  be  condemned.  It  is  not, 
I  say,  some  slight  obedience  that  will  save  the  soul. 
Thou  hast  not  continued  "in  all  things  which  are 
written  in  the  book  of  the  law,"  and  therefore,  thou 
art  condemned. 


•  0  • 


REMEMBER  to  put  thine  eyes  heavenward,  and 
thine  heart  heavenward,  too.  Kemember  that 
thou  bind  round  thyself  a  golden  chain,  and  put  one 
link  of  it  in  the  staple  in  heaven.  Look  unto  Christ ; 
fear  not.  There  is  no  stumbling  when  a  man  walks 
with  his  eyes  up  to  Jesus.  He  that  looked  at  the 
stars  fell  into  the  ditch ;  but  he  that  looks  at  Christ 
walks  safely. 


spukgeon's  gems.  91 

BEHOLD  tlie  unpillared  arch  of  heaven ;  see  how 
it  stretches  its  gigantic  span  ;  and  yet  it  falleth 
not,  though  it  is  unpropped  and  unbuttressed,  "  He 
hangeth  the  world  upon  nothing."  What  chain  is  it 
that  bindeth  up  the  stars,  and  keepeth  them  from  fall- 
ing ?  Lo,  they  float  in  ether,  upheld  by  his  omnipo- 
tent arm,  who  hath  laid  the  foundations  of  the  uni- 
verse. A  Christian  should  be  a  second  exhibition  of 
God's  universe;  his  faith  should  be  an  unpillared 
confidence,  resting  on  the  past,  and  on  the  eternity  to 
come,  as  the  sure  groundwork  of  its  arch.  His  faith 
should  be  like  the  world  ;  it  should  hang  on  nothing 
but  the  promise  of  God,  and  have  no  other  support 
but  that ;  and  he  himself,  like  the  stars,  should  float 
in  the  ether  of  confidence,  needing  nothing  to  uphold 
him  but  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high. 


•  •♦ 


CHHiDRElSr  sometimes  blow  bubbles,  and  amuse 
themselves  thereby.  Life  is  even  as  that  bubble. 
You  see  it  rising  into  the  air ;  the  child  delights 
itself  by  seeing  it  fly  about,  but  it  is  all  gone  in 
one  moment.  "  It  is  even  a  vapor,  that  appeareth 
for  a  little  time,  and  then  vanisheth  away."  But  if 
you  ask  the  poet  to  explain  this,  he  would  tell  you 
that  in  the  morning,  sometimes  at  early  dawn,  the 
rivers  send  up  a  steamy  offering  to  the  sun.    There 


92  SPURGEON  8   GEMS. 

is  a  vapor,  a  mist,  an  exhalation  rising  from  tlie 
rivers  and  brooks,  but  in  a  very  little  while  after  the 
sun  has  risen,  all  that  mist  has  gone.  Hence  we  read 
of  tlie  morning  cloud  and  the  early  dew  that  passeth 
away.  A  more  common  observer,  speaking  of  a 
vapor,  would  think  of  those  thin  clouds  you  some- 
times see  floating  in  the  air,  which  are  so  light  that 
they  are  soon  carried  away.  Indeed,  a  poet  uses 
them  as  the  picture  of  feebleness : 

"  Their  hosts  are  scatter' d,  like  thin  clouds 
Before  a  Biscay  gale." 

The  wind  moves  them,  and  they  are  gone.  "  What 
is  your  life  ?" 

SO  mighty  is  the  ever-rushing  torrent  of  sin,  that 
no  arm  but  that  which  is  as  strong  as  Deity  can 
ever  stop  the  sinner  from  being  hm-ried  down  to  the 
gulf  of  black  despair,  and,  when  nearing  that  gulf, 
so  impetuous  is  the  torrent  of  divine  wrath,  that 
nothing  can  snatch  the  soul  from  perdition  but  an 
atonement  which  is  as  divine  as  God  himself.  Yet 
faith  is  the  instrument  of  accomplishing  the  whole 
work.  It  delivers  the  sinner  from  the  stream  of  sin, 
and  so,  layings  hold  upon  the  omnipotence  of  the 
Spirit,  it  rescues  him  from  that  great  whirlpool  of 
destruction  into  which  his  soul  was  being  hurried. 


MAN  is  HI 
iR  r.ontii 


spuegeon's  gems.  93 

like  a  great  icicle,  which  the  sim  of  time 
is  continually  thawing,  and  which  is  soon  to  be 
water  spilt  npon  the  ground  that  cannot  be  gathered 
up.  Who  can  recall  the  departed  spirit,  or  inflate  the 
lungs  with  a  new  breath  of  life  ?  Who  can  put  vital- 
ity into  the  heart,  and  restore  the  soul  from  Hades  ? 
None.  It  cannot  be  gathered  up.  The  place  shall 
know  it  no  more  forever. 

But  here  a  sweet  thought  charms  us.  This  water 
cannot  be  lost,  but  it  shall  descend  into  the  soil  to 
filter  through  the  Rock  of  Ages,  at  last  to  spring  up 
a  pure  fountain  in  heaven,  cleansed,  purified,  and 
made  clear  as  crystal.  How  terrible  if,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  should  percolate  the  black  earth  of  sin,  and 
hang  in  horrid  drops  in  the  dark  caverns  of  destruc- 
tion ! 


A  ND  all  these — all  this  vast  gathering  of  human 
-l1-  souls,  are  joining  in  one  cry — all  moving  in  one 
direction.  Oh,  thought,  at  which  the  faithful  well 
may  weep ;  their  cry  is  self,  their  course  is  sin. 
Here  and  there  are  the  chosen  few  struggling  against 
the  mighty  tide ;  but  the  masses,  the  multitude,  still, 
as  in  the  days  of  David,  are  hurrying  their  mad 
career  in  search  of  a  fancied  good,  and  reaping  the 
fruit  of  the  futile  search  in  disappointment,  death  and 
hell. 


94  spuegeon's  gems. 

PEKIIAPS  tlie  most  miserable  people  in  the 
world  are  tlie  very  careful  ones.  Yon  tliat  are 
BO  anxious  about  what  sliall  happen  on  the  morrow 
that  you  cannot  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  to-day,  you 
who  have  such  a  peculiar  cast  of  mind  that  you  sus- 
pect every  star  to  be  a  comet,  and  imagine  that  there 
must  be  a  volcano  in  every  grassy  mead,  you  that 
are  more  attracted  by  the  spots  in  the  sun  than  by 
the  sun  himself,  and  more  amazed  by  one  sear  leaf 
upon  the  tree  than  by  all  the  verdm^e  of  the  woods — 
you  that  make  more  of  your  troubles  than  you  could 
do  of  your  joys — I  say,  I  think  you  belong  to  the 
most  miserable  of  men. 


FROM  the  cross  oi  Calvary,  where  the  bleeding 
hands  of  Jesus  di'op  mercy  ;  from  the  garden  of 
Gethsemane,  where  the  bleeding  pores  of  the  Saviour 
sweat  pardons,  the  cry  comes,  "  Look  unto  me,  and 
be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth."  From  Cal- 
vary's summit,  where  Jesus  cries,  "It  is  finished,"  I 
hear  a  shout,  "  Look,  and  be  saved."  But  there 
comes  a  vile  cry  from  our  soul,  "  ]^ay,  look  to  your- 
self! look  to  yourself!"  Ah,  look  to  yourself,  and 
you  will  be  damned.  That  certainly  will  come  of  it. 
As  long  as  you  look  to  yourself  there  is  no  hope  for 
you.     It  is  not  a  consideration  of  what  you  are,  but  a 


spijegeon's  gems.  95 

consideration  o±  what  God  is,  and  what  Christ  is,  that 
can  save  you.  It  is  looking  from  yourself  to  Jesus. 
Oh!  there  be  men  that  quite  misunderstand  the  gos- 
pel ;  they  think  that  righteousness  qualifies  them  to 
come  to  Christ ;  whereas  sin  is  the  only  qualification 
for  a  man  to  come  to  Jesus.  Good  old  Crisp  says, 
"  Righteousness  keeps  me  from  Christ :  the  whole 
have  no  need  of  a  physician,  but  they  that  are  sick. 
Sin  makes  me  come  to  Jesus,  when  sin  is  felt ;  and 
in  coming  to  Christ,  the  more  sin  I  have  the  more 
cause  I  have  to  hope  for  mercy." 


■••  > 


YOU  cannot,  though  you  may  think  you  can, 
preserve  a  moderation  in  sin.  If  you  commit 
one  sin,  it  is  like  the  melting  of  the  lower  glacier 
upon  the  Alps  ;  the  others  must  follow  in  time.  As 
certainly  as  you  heap  one  stone  upon  the  cairn  to-day, 
the  next  day  you  will  cast  another,  until  the  heap, 
reared  stone  by  stone,  shall  become  a  very  pyramid. 
Set  the  coral  insect  at  work,  you  cannot  decree  where 
it  shall  stay  its  work.  It  will  not  build  its  rock  just 
as  high  as  you  please,  it  will  not  stay  until  it  shall  be 
covered  with  weeds,  until  the  weeds  shall  decay, 
and  there  shall  be  soil  upon  it,  and  an  island  shall 
be  created  by  tiny  creatures.  Sin  cannot  be  held  in 
with  bit  and  bridle. 


96  SPUKaEON's   GEMS. 

SOO!N',  soon,  the  saints  of  the  earth  shall  be  saints 
in  light;  their  hairs  of  snowy  age  shall  be 
crowned  with  perpetual  joy  and  everlasting  youth; 
their  eyes  suffused  with  tears  shall  be  made  bright 
as  stars,  never  to  be  clouded  again  by  sorrow  ;  their 
hearts  that  tremble  now  are  to  be  made  joyous  and 
fast,  and  set  forever  like  pillars  in  the  temple  of  God. 
Their  follies,  their  burdens,  their  griefs,  their  woes, 
are  soon  to  be  over ;  sin  is  to  be  slain,  corruption  is 
to  be  removed,  and  a  heaven  of  spotless  purity  and 
of  unmingled  peace  is  to  be  theirs  forever.  But  it 
must  still  be  by  grace.  As  was  the  foundation  such 
must  the  top-stone  be  ;  that  which  laid  on  earth  the 
first  beginning  must  lay  in  heaven  the  topmost 
stone. 


TO  know  one's-self  to  be  foolish  is  to  stand  upon  the 
door-step  of  the  temple  of  wisdom ;  to  under- 
stand the  wrongness  of  any  position  is  half  way  to- 
wards amending  it ;  to  be  quite  sure  that  our  self- 
confidence  is  a  heinous  sin  and  folly,  and  an  offence 
towards  God,  and  to  have  that  thought  burned  into 
us  by  God's  Holy  Spirit,  is  going  a  great  length  to- 
wards the  absolute  casting  our  self-confidence  away, 
and  the  bringing  of  our  souls  in  practice,  as  well  as  in 
theory,  to  rely  wholly  upon  the  power  of  God's  Holy 
Spirit. 


sptjkgeon's  gems.  •  97 

OH !  how  solemn  will  be  that  hour  when  we  must 
struggle  with  that  enemy,  Death !  The  death- 
rattle  is  in  our  throat — we  can  scarce  articulate — 
we  try  to  speak ;  the  death-glaze  is  on  the  eye : 
Death  hath  put  his  fingers  on  those  windows  of  the 
body,  and  shut  out  the  light  forever ;  the  hands 
well-nigh  refuse  to  lift  themselves,  and  there  we  are, 
close  on  the  borders  of  the  grave !  Ah !  that  mo- 
ment, when  the  spirit  sees  its  destiny ;  that  moment 
of  all  moments  the  most  solemn,  when  the  soul  looks 
through  the  bars  of  its  cage,  upon  the  world  to  come ! 
No,  I  cannot  tell  you  how  the  spirit  feels,  if  it  be  an 
ungodly  spirit,  when  it  sees  a  fiery  throne  of  judg- 
ment, and  hears  the  thunders  of  Almighty  wrath, 
while  there  is  but  a  moment  between  it  and  hell.  I 
cannot  picture  to  you  what  must  be  the  fright  which 
men  will  feel,  when  they  realize  what  they  often 
heard  of ! 


TRUE  friendship  can  only  be  made  between  true 
men.  Hearts  are  the  soul  of  honor.  There  can 
be  no  lasting  friendship  between  bad  men.  Bad 
men  may  pretend  to  love  each  other,  but  theii' 
friendship  is  a  rope  of  sand,  which  shall  be  broken 
at  any  convenient  season ;  but  if  a  man  have  a 
sincere  heart  within  him,  and  be  true  and  noble, 
then  we  may  confide  in  him. 

5 


98  spuegeon's  gems. 

WHO  can  find  a  stain  in  tlie  character  of  Jesus, 
or  who  can  tarnish  his  honor  ?  Has  there  ever 
been  a  spot  on  his  escutcheon?  Has  his  flag  ever 
been  trampled  in  the  dnst  ?  Does  he  not  stand  the 
true  witness  in  heaven,  the  faithful  and  just  ?  Is  it 
not  declared  of  him  that  he  is  God  who  cannot  lie  ? 
Have  we  not  found  him  so  up  to  this  moment ;  and 
may  we  not,  knowing  that  he  is  "  Holy,  holy,  holy 
Lord,"  confide  in  him,  that  he  will  stick  closer  to  us 
than  a  brother  ?  His  goodness  is  the  guaranty  of  his 
fidelity ;  he  cannot  fail  us. 


THIS  Bible  is  the  stone  that  shall  break  in  powder 
philosophy ;  this  is  the  mighty  battering-ram 
that  shall  dash  all  systems  of  jDhilosophy  in  pieces ; 
this  is  the  stone  that  a  woman  may  yet  hurl  upon 
the  head  of  every  Abimelech,  and  he  shall  utterly 
be  destroyed.  O  Church  of  God!  fear  not;  thou 
shalt  do  wonders ;  wise  men  shall  be  confounded, 
and  thou  shalt  know,  and  they  too,  that  he  is  God, 
and  that  beside  him  there  is  none  else. 


HE  who  would  be  happy  here  must  have  friends ; 
and  he  who  would  be  happy  hereafter,  must, 
above  all  things,  find  a  friend  in  the  world  to  come, 
in  the  person  of  God,  the  Father  of  his  people. 


spukgeon's  gems.  99 

AMEEE  profession,  is  but  painted  pageantrj 
to  go  to  lieii  in:  it  is  like  tlie  plumes  upon  the 
liearse  and  tlie  traj^pings  upon  the  black  horses 
which  drag  men  to  their  graves,  the  funeral  array 
of  dead  souls.  Take  heed  above  everything  of  a 
waxen  profession  that  will  not  stand  the  sun  ;  take 
care  of  a  life  that  needs  to  have  two  faces  to  carry 
it  out ;  be  one  thing,  or  else  the  other.  If  you 
make  up  your  mind  to  serve  Satan,  do  not  pretend 
to  serve  God  ;  and  if  you  serve  God,  serve  him  with 

all  your  heart. 

— •  •  •  , 

YOU  may  think  of  a  doctrine  forever,  and  get  no 
good  from  it,  if  you  are  not  already  saved ;  but 
think  of  the  person  of  Christ,  and  that  will  give  you 
faith.  Take  him  everywhere,  wherever  you  go,  and 
try  to  meditate  on  him  in  your  leisure  moments,  and 
then  he  will  reveal  himself  to  you,  and  give  you 

peace. 

— •-•-• 

VHAT !  is  Christ  thy  Brother,  and  does  he  live 
in  thine  house,  and  yet  thou  hast  not  spoken 
to  him  for  a  month  ?  I  fear  there  is  little  love  be- 
tween thee  and  thy  Brother,  for  thou  hast  had  no  con- 
versation with  him  for  so  long.  What !  is  Christ  the 
Husband  of  his  church,  and  has  she  had  no  fellowship 
with  him  for  all  this  time  ? 


100  SPURGEON  S    GEMS. 

YOU  have  seen  mummies,  wrapped  round  and 
round  with  folds  of  linen.  AYell,  God's  Bible 
is  like  that ;  it  is  a  vast  roll  of  white  linen,  woven  in 
the  loom  of  truth ;  so  you  will  have  to  continue  un- 
winding it,  roll  after  roll,  before  you  get  the  real 
meaning  of  it  from  the  very  depth ;  and  when  you 
have  found,  as  you  think,  a  part  of  the  meaning,  you 
will  still  need  to  keep  on  unwinding,  unwinding,  and 
all  eternity  you  will  be  unwinding  the  words  of  this 
wondrous  volume. 


r'  is  easy  to  find  by  hundreds  those  that  have  de- 
parted, but  you  must  count  those  by  ones  who 
know  how  to  groan  over  their  departure.  The  true 
believer,  however,  when  he  discovers  that  he  needs 
revival,  will  not  be  happy ;  he  will  begin  at  once 
that  incessant  and  continuous  strain  of  cries  and 
groans  which  will  at  last  prevail  with  God,  and 
bring  the  blessing  of  revival  down. 


WHEN  a  man  has  fifty  difierent  desires,  his  heart 
resembles  a  pool  of  water,  which  is  spread  over 
a  marsh,  breeding  miasma  and  pestilence  ;  but  when 
all  his  desires  are  brought  into  one  channel,  his  heart 
becomes  like  a  river  of  pure  water,  running  along 
and  fertilizing  the  fields. 


SPURGEON  S    GtEMS.  101 

SUPPOSE^G  tlie  innumerable  company  of  the  re- 
deemed could  perish,  and  their  immortality  were 
swallowed  up  in  death,  yet  even  then,  daily  Clirist 
would  be  praised !     If  all  of  us  had  departed  from 
the  boundless  sphere  of  being — ^look  up  yonder !    See 
yon  starry  host ;  see  the  mighty  cohorts  of  cherubs 
and  seraphs  ?     Let  men  begone  and  they  shall  praise 
him  ;  let  the  troops  of  the  glorified  cease  their  notes, 
and  let  no  sweet  melodies  ever  come  from  the  lips  of 
sainted  men  and  women ;  yet  the  chariots  of  God  are 
twenty  thousand,  even  many  thousands  of  angels,  who 
always  in  their  motions  chant  his  praise.     There  is  an 
orchestra  on  high,  the  music  of  which  shall  never 
cease,  even  were  mortals  extinct  and  all  the  human 
race  swept  from  existence.     Again,  if  angels  were 
departed,  still  daily  would  he  be  praised ;   for,  are 
there  not  worlds  on  worlds,  and  suns  on  suns,  and 
systems  on  systems,  that  could  forever  sing  his  praise? 
Yes !     The  ocean — that  house  of  storms — would  howl 
out  his  glories ;  the  winds  would  swell  the  notes  of 
his  praise  with  their  ceaseless  gales;   the  thunders 
would  roll  like  drums  in  the  march  of  the  God  of 
armies ;  the  illimitable  void  of  ether  would  become 
vocal  with  song ;  and  space  itself  would  burst  forth 
into  one  universal  chorus — Hallelujah  !    Ilalleliijah! 
Halleluj  ah !  still  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth ! 
And  if  these  were  gone  ;  if  creatures  ceased  to  exist, 


102  spurgeon's  gems. 


he  who  ever  livetii  and  reigiieiii,  in  whom  all  the  ful- 
ness of  the  Godhead  bodily  dwells,  would  still  he 
praised  ;  praised  in  himself,  and  glorious  in  himself; 
for  the  Father  would  praise  the  Son,  and  the  Spirit 
would  praise  him,  and  mutually  blessing  one  another 
and  rendering  each  other  beatified,  still  "  daily  would 
lie  be  praised,," 


THIS  city  of  refuge  had  round  it  suburbs  of  a  very 
great  extent.  Two  thousand  cubits  were  allowed 
for  grazing  land  for  the  cattle  of  the  priests,  and  a 
thousand  cubits  within  these  for  fields  and  vineyards. 
ISTow,  no  sooner  did  the  man  reach  the  outside  of  the 
city,  the  suburbs,  than  he  was  safe  ;  it  was  not  neces- 
sary for  him  to  get  within  the  walls,  but  the  suburbs 
themselves  were  sufficient  protection.  Learn,  hence, 
that  if  ye  do  but  touch  the  hem  of  Christ's  garment, 
ye  shall  be  made  whole ;  if  ye  do  but  lay  hold  of 
him  with  "  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,"  with 
faith  which  is  scarcely  a  believing,  but  is  truly  a 
believing,  you  are  safe. 

"  A  little  genuine  grace  ensures 
The  death  of  all  our  sins." 

Get  within  the  borders ;    lay  hold  of  the  hem  of 
Christ's  garment,  and  thou  art  secure. 


spurgeon's  gems.  103 

ALAS !  for  thee,  that  thy  pulse  should  beat  a 
march  to  hell.  Alas!  that  yonder  clock,  like 
the  muffled  drum,  should  be  the  music  of  the  funeral 
march  of  thy  soul.  Alas !  alas  !  that  thou  shouldst 
fold  thine  arms  in  pleasure,  when  the  knife  is  at  thy 
heart.  Alas  !  alas  !  for  thee,  that  thou  shouldst  sing, 
and  make  merriment,  when  the  rope  is  about  thy 
neck,  and  the  drop  is  tottering  under  thee  !  Alas ! 
for  thee,  that  thou  shouldst  go  thy  way,  and  live 
merrily  and  happily  and  yet  be  lost  !  Thou 
remindest  me  of  the  silly  moth  that  dances  round 
about  the  flame,  singeing  itself  for  a  while,  and  then 
at  last  plunging  to  its  death.  Such  art  thou ! 
Young  woman,  with  thy  butterfly  clothing,  thou  art 
leaping  round  the  flame  that  shall  destroy  thee  ! 
Young  man,  light  and  frothy  in  thy  conversation, 
gay  in  thy  life,  thou  art  dancing  to  hell ;  thou  art 
singing  thy  way  to  damnation,  and  promenading  the 
road  to  destruction.  Alas  !  alas  !  that  ye  should  be 
spinning  your  own  winding-sheets;  that  ye  should 
every  day  by  your  sins  be  building  your  own  gal- 
lows ;  that  by  your  transgressions  ye  should  be 
digging  your  own  graves,  and  working  hard  to  pile 
the  fagots  for  your  own  eternal  burning.  Oh  !  that 
ye  were  wise,  that  ye  understood  this,  that  ye  would 
consider  your  latter  end.  Oh !  that  ye  would  flee 
from  the  wrath  to  come  1 


104:  spukgeon's  gems. 

THE  saints  in  Jesus,  when  their  badies  sleep  in 
peace,  have  perpetual  fellowship  with  him — aye, 
better  fellowship  than  we  can  enjoy.  We  have  but 
the  transitory  glimpse  of  his  face  ;  they  gaze  upon  it 
every  moment.  "We  see  him  "  in  a  glass,  darkly  ;" 
they  behold  him  "face  to  face."  We  sip  of  the 
brook  by  the  way ;  they  plunge  into  the  very  ocean 
of  unbounded  love.  We  look  up  sometimes,  and  see 
our  Father  smile  ;  look  whenever  they  may,  his  face 
is  always  full  of  smiles  for  them.  We  get  some 
drops  of  comfort ;  but  tliey  get  the  honeycomb  itself. 
They  have  their  cup  filled  with  new  wine,  running 
over  with  perennial,  unalloyed  delights.  They  are 
full  of  peace,  full  of  joy  forever.  They  "  sleep  in 
Jesus."  Such  a  description  of  death  makes  us  wish 
to  sleep  too.  O  Lord,  let  us  go  to  sleep  with  the 
departed !  O  happy  hour !  when  a  clod  of  the 
valley  shall  be  our  pillow  !  Though  it  be  hard,  we 
shall  not  be  affected  by  it.  Happy  hour,  when 
earth  shall  be  our  bed  !  Cold  shall  be  the  clay,  but 
we  shall  not  know  it ;  we  shall  slumber  and  we  shall 
rest.  The  worm  shall  hold  carnival  within  our  bones, 
and  corruption  shall  riot  o'er  our  frame  ;  but  we  shall 
not  feel  it.  Corruption  can  but  feed  on  the  corrup- 
tible ;  mortality  can  but  prey  upon  the  mortal. 
"  We  know  'tis  common :  all  that  live  must  die, 
passing  through  nature  to  eternity." 


spurgeon's  gems.  105 

SALTATION  is  God's  highest  glory.  He  is  glori- 
fied in  every  dewdrop  that  twinkles  to  the  morn- 
ing siin,  He  is  magnified  in  every  wood  flower  that 
blossoms  in  the  copse,  although  it  live  to  blush  un- 
seen, and  waste  its  sweetness  in  the  forest  air.  God 
is  glorified  in  every  bird  that  warbles  on  the  spray  ; 
in  every  lamb  that  skips  the  mead.  Do  not  the  fishes 
in  the  sea  praise  him.  From  the  tiny  minnow  to  the 
huge  Leviathan,  do  not  all  creatures  that  swim  the 
water  bless  and  praise  his  name  ?  Do  not  all  created 
things  extol  him  ?  Is  there  aught  beneath  the  sky, 
save  man,  that  does  not  glorify  God  ?  Do  not  the 
stars  exalt  him,  when  they  write  his  name  uj)on  the 
azure  of  heaven  in  their  golden  letters  ?  Do  not  the 
lightnings  adore  him  when  they  flash  his  brightness 
in  arrows  of  light,  piercing  the  midnight  darkness  ? 
Do  not  thunders  extol  him  when  they  roll  like  drums 
in  the  march  of  the  God  of  armies  ?  Do  not  all 
things  exalt  him,  from  the  least  even  to  the  greatest? 
But  sing,  sing,  O  Universe,  till  thou  hast  exhausted 
thyself,  thou  canst  not  afi'ord  a  song  so  sweet  as  the 
song  of  Incarnation.  Though  creation  may  be  a  ma- 
jestic organ  of  praise,  it  cannot  reach  the  compass  of 
the  golden  canticle — Incarnation  !  There  is  more  in 
that  than  in  creation,  more  melody  in  Jesus  in  the 
manger,  than  there  is  in  worlds  on  worlds  rolling 
their  grandeur  round  the  throne  of  the  Most  High. 

5* 


106  spuegeon's  gems. 

GOD  would  build  for  himself  a  palace  in  heaven 
of   living  stones :     Where   did  he   get  them  ? 
Did   he   go   to  the   quarries  of    Paros  ?      Hath  he 
brought  forth   the   richest   and  the   purest   marble 
from  the  quarries  of  perfection  ?     Ko,  je  saints,  look 
to  "  the  hole  of  the  pit  whence  je  were  digged,  and 
to  the  rock  whence  ye  were  hewn !"     Ye  were  full 
of  sin;    so  far  from  being  stones   that  were  white 
with  puritj,  je  were  black  with  defilement,  seem- 
ingly utterly  unfit  to  be  stones  in  the  spiritual  tem- 
ple, which  should  be  the  dwelling-place  of  the  Most 
High.     And  yet  he  chose  you  to  be  .trophies  of  his 
grace,  and  of  his  power  to   save.     When  Solomon 
built  for  himself  a  palace,  he  built  it  of  cedar ;  but 
when  God  would  build  for  himself  a  dwelling  for- 
ever, he  cut  not  down  the  goodly  cedars,  but  he 
dwelt  in  a  bush,  and  hath  preserved  it  as  his  memo- 
rial  forever,    "The  God  that    dwelt  in  the  bush." 
Goldsmiths  make  exquisite  forms  from  precious  ma- 
terial ;  they  fashion  the  bracelet  and  the  ring  from 
gold : — God  maketh  his  precious  things  out  of  base 
material ;  and  from  the  black  pebbles  of  the  defiling 
brooks  he  hath  taken  up  stones,  which  he  hath  set 
in  the  golden  ring  of  his  immutable  love,  to  make 
them   gems   to  sparkle  on  his   finger  forever.     He 
hath  not  selected  the  best,  but  apparently  the  worst 
of  men,  to  be  the  monuments   of  his  grace;    and 


spurgeon's  gems.  107 

when  he  would  have  a  choir  in  heaven  that  should 
with  tongues  harmonious  sing  his  praises — a  chorus 
that  should  forever  chant  hallelujahs  louder  than 
the  noise  of  many  waters,  and  like  great  thunders, 
he  did  not  send  Mercy  down  to  seek  earth's  song- 
sters, and  cull  from  us  those  who  have  the  sweetest 
voices ;  He  said,  "  Go,  Mercy,  and  find  out  the 
dumb,  and  touch  their  lips,  and  make  them  sing. 
The  virgin  tongues  that  never  sang  my  praise  before_, 
that  have  been  silent  till  now,  shall  break  forth  in 
rhapsodies  sublime,  and  they  shall  lead  the  song ; 
even  angels  shall  but  attend  behind,  and  catch  the 
notes  from  the  lips  of  those  who  once  were  dumb." 
"  The  tongue  of  the  dumb  shall  sing  "  God's  praises 
hereafter  in  heaven. 


THE  MAITY:  what  a  thousand  thoughts  rise 
around  these  two  words !  The  million-peopled 
city,  the  populous  town,  the  wide-spread  country,  this 
isle,  kingdoms,  empires,  continents,  the  world,  all 
seem  to  issue  forth  like  armies  from  the  hundred- 
gated  Thebes,  at  the  mention  of  that  word,  "  The 
many."  Here  we  see  the  toiling  peasant  and  his 
lordly  squire,  the  artisan  and  the  princely  merchant, 
the  courtier  and  the  king,  the  young,  the  old,  the 
learned  and  the  unlearned^  all  gathered  within  the 
compass  of  a  word. 


108  spukgeon's  gems. 

OHYPOCEITE,  thou  thinkest  that  thou  shalt  ex- 
cel, because  the  minister  has  been  duped,  and 
gives  thee  credit  for  a  deep  experience  ;  because  the 
deacons  have  been  entrapped  and  think  thee  to  be  emi- 
nently godly ;  because  the  church  members  receive 
thee  to  their  houses,  and  think  thee  a  dear  child  of 
God  too  !    Poor  soul !  mayhap  thou  mayest  go  to  thy 
grave  with  the  delusion  in  thy  brain  that  all  is  right 
with  thee ;  but  remember,  though  like  a  sheep  thou 
art  laid  in  thy  grave,  Death  will  find  thee  out.     He 
will  say  to  thee,  off  with  thy  mask,  man !  away  with 
all  thy  robes !     Up  with  that  whitewashed  sepulchre ! 
Take  off  that  green  turf;  let  the  worms  be  seen.  Out 
with  the  body;  let  us  see  the  reeking  corruption  !  and- 
what  wilt  thou  say  when  thine  abominably  corrupt 
and  filthy  heart  shall  be  opened  before  the  sun,  and 
men  and  angels  hear  thy  lies  and  hypocrisies  laid  bare 
before  them?     Wilt  thou  play  the  hypocrite  then? 
Soul,  come  and  sing  God's  praises  in  the  day  of  judg- 
ment with  false  lip  !     Tell  him  now,  while  a  widow's 
house  is  in  your  throat,  tell  him  that  you  love  him  ! 
Come,  now,  thou  that  devourest  the  fatherless,  thou 
that  robbest,  thou  that  dost  uncleanness  !  tell  him  now 
that  thou  didst  make  thy  boast  in  the  Lord  !  tell  him 
that  thou  didst  preach  his  word ;  tell  him  that  thou 
didst  walk  in  his  streets  ;  tell  him  thou  didst  make  it 
known  that  thou  wert  one  of  the  excellent  of  the 


spukgeon's  gems.  109 

earth  !  Wliat !  man,  is  tliy  babbling  tongue  silent  for 
once  ?  What  is  the  matter  with  thee  ?  Thou  wast 
never  slow  to  talk  of  thy  godliness.  Speak  out,  and 
say  "  I  took  the  sacramental  cup  ;  I  was  a  professor." 
Oh  huw  changed  !  The  whitewashed  sepulchre  has 
become  white  in  another  sense  ;  he  is  white  with  hor- 
ror. See  now ;  the  talkative  has  become  dumb  ;  the 
boaster  is  silent ;  the  formalist's  garb  is  rent  to  rags, 
the  moth  has  devoured  their  beauty ;  their  gold  has 
become  tarnished,  and  their  silver  cankered.  Ah  !  it 
must  be  so  with  every  man  who  has  thus  belied  God 
and  his  own  conscience. 


THERE  never  shall  come  a  clay  when  the  church 
shall  be  bereft  of  mighty  champions  for  the  truth, 
who  shun  not  to  declare  the  whole  counsel  of  God ; 
but  continually,  to  the  latest  period  of  time,  men  shall 
be  raised  up  to  preach  free  grace  in  all  its  sover- 
eignty, in  all  its  omnipotence,  in  all  its  perseverance, 
in-  all  its  immutability.  Until  the  sun  grows  dim  with 
age,  and  the  comets  cease  their  mighty  revolutions — 
till  all  nature  doth  quake  and  totter  with  old  age,  and, 
palsied  with  disease,  doth  die  away — the  voice  of  the 
ministry  must  and  shall  be  heard,  "  and  daily  shall 
he  be  praised."  Men  cannot  put  out  the  light  of 
Christianity ;  the  pulpit  is  still  the  Thermopylae  of 


110  spuegeon's  gems. 

Cliristendom,  and  if  there  were  but  two  godly  minis- 
ters they  would  stand  in  the  pass  and  repnlse  a  thou- 
sand— ^yea,  ten  thousand.  All  the  hosts  of  mankind 
shall  never  vanquish  the  feeble  band  of  Christ's  fol- 
lowers, while  he  sends  forth  his  ministers.  On  this 
we  rely  as  a  *sure  word  of  prophecy  :  "  Thy  teachers 
shall  no  more  be  removed  into  a  corner ;"  and  we 
believe  that  by  this  ministry  daily  shall  Christ  be 

praised. 

•-#-• — 

HEAYElSr  is  ajplace  of  complete  victory  and  glori- 
ous triumph.  This  is  the  battle-field ;  there  is 
the  triumphal  procession.  This  is  the  land  of  the 
sword  and  the  spear ;  that  is  the  land  of  the  wreath 
and  the  crown.  This  is  the  land  of  the  garment 
rolled  in  blood  and  of  the  dust  of  the  fight ;  that  is 
the  land  of  the  trumpet's  joyful  sound — that  is  the 
place  of  the  white  robe  and  of  the  shout  of  conquest. 
Oh,  what  a  thrill  of  joy  shall  shoot  through  the 
hearts  of  all  the  blessed  when  their  conquests  shall 
be  complete  in  heaven,  when  death  itself,  the  last  of 
foes,  shall  be  slain — when  Satan  shall  be  dragged 
captive  at  the  chariot  wheels  of  Christ — when  he 
shall  have  overthrown  sin  and  trampled  corruption 
as  the  mire  of  the  streets — when  the  great  shout  of 
universal  victory  shall  rise  from  the  hearts  of  all  the 
redeemed ! 


spurgeon's  gems.  Ill 

rjIHE  eagle  is  a  bird  noted  for  its  swiftness.  I  re- 
J-  member  reading  an  acconnt  of  an  eagle  attack- 
ing a  fisb-hawk,  wbich  bad  obtained  some  booty  from 
tbe  deep,  and  was  bearing  it  aloft.  Tbe  hawk 
dropped  tbe  fisb,  wbicb  fell  towards  tbe  water ;  but 
before  tbe  fisb  bad  readied  tbe  ocean,  tbe  eagle  bad 
flown  more  swiftly  tban  tbe  fisb  could  fall,  and  catcb- 
ing  it  in  its  beak,  it  flew  away  witb  it.  Tbe  swift- 
ness of  tbe  eagle  is  almost  incalculable ;  you  see  it, 
and  it  is  gone ;  you  see  a  dark  speck  in  tbe  sky  yon- 
der ;  it  is  an  eagle  soaring ;  let  tbe  fowler  imagine 
tbat  by  and  by  be  sball  overtake  it  on  some  moun- 
tain's craggy  peak,  it  sball  be  gone  long  before  be 
reacbes  it.  Sucli  is  our  life.  It  is  like  an  eagle  bast- 
ing to  its  prey ;  not  merely  an  eagle  flying  in  its 
ordinary  course,  but  an  eagle  basting  to  its  prey. 
Life  appears  to  be  basting  to  its  prey — tbe  prey  is 
tbe  body ;  life  is  ever  fleeing  from  insatiate  deatb  ; 
but  deatb  is  too  swift  to  be  outrun,  and  as  an  eagle 
overtakes  bis  prey,  so  sball  deatb. 


THERE  is  not  a  place  beneatb  wbicb  a  believer 
walks  tbat  is  free  from  snares.  Bebind  every 
tree  tbere  is  tbe  Indian  witb  bis  barbed  arrow ;  be- 
bind every  busb  tbere  is  tbe  lion  seeking  to  devour ; 
under  every  piece  of  grass  tbere  lietb  tbe  adder. 
Everywhere  tbey  are. 


112  spurgeon's  gems. 

You  saw  but  yesterday  a  strong  man  in  your 
neighborhood  brought  to  the  grave  by  sudden 
death  ;  it  is  but  a  month  ago  that  you  heard  the  bell 
toll  for  one  whom  once  you  knew  and  loved,  who 
procrastinated  and  procrastinated  until  he  perished 
in  procrastination.  You  have  had  strange  things 
happen  in  your  very  street,  and  the  voice  of  God  has 
been  spoken  loudly  through  the  lip  of  Death  to  you. 
Aye,  and  you  have  had  warnings  too  in  your  own 
body,  you  have  been  sick  with  fever,  you  have  been 
brought  to  the  jaws  of  the  grave,  and  you  liave 
looked  down  into  the  bottomless  vault  of  destruction. 
It  is  not  long  ago  since  you  were  given  up :  all  said 
they  might  prepare  a  coffin  for  you,  for  your  breath 
could  not  long  be  in  your  body.  Tlien  you  turned 
your  face  to  the  wall  and  prayed  ;  you  vowed  that  if 
God  would  spare  you,  you  would  live  a  goodly  life, 
that  you  would  repent  of  your  sins ;  but  to  your  own 
confusion  you  are  now  just  what  you  were.  Ah  ! 
let  me  tell  you,  your  guilt  is  more  grievous  than  that 
of  any  other  man,  for  you  have  sinned  presumptu- 
ously, in  the  very  highest  sense  in  which  you  could 
have  done  so.  You  have  sinned  against  reproofs,  but 
what  is  worse  still,  you  have  sinned  against  your 
own  solemn  oaths  and  covenants,  and  against  the 
promises  that  you  made  to  God.  He  who  plays  with 
fire  must  be  condemned  as  careless ;  but  he  who  has 


spukgeon's  gems.  113 

been  burned  out  once,  and  afterwards  plays  with  the 
destroying  element,  is  worse  than  careless ;  and  he 
who  has  himself  been  scorched  in  the  flame,  and  has 
had  his  lochs  all  hot  and  crisp  with  the  burning,  if  he 
again  should  rush  headlong  into  fire,  I  say  he  is  worse 
than  careless,  he  is  worse  than  presumptuous,  he  is 
mad.  But  I  have  some  such  here.  Tliey  have  had 
warnings  so  terrible  that  they  might  have  know^n 
better  ;  tliey  have  gone  into  lusts  which  have  brought 
their  bodies  into  sickness,  and  perhaps  this  day  they 
have  crept  up  to  this  house,  and  they  dare  not  tell  to 
their  neighbor  who  stands  by  their  side  what  is  the 
loathsomeness  that  even  now  doth  breed  upon  their 
frame.  And  yet  they  will  go  back  to  the  same  lusts ; 
the  fool  will  go  again  to  the  stocks,  the  sheep  will 
lick  the  knife  that  is  to  slay  him.  You  will  go  on  in 
your  lust  and  in  your  sins,  despite  warnings,  despite 
advice,  until  you  perish  in  your  guilt.  How  worse 
than  children  are  grown-up  men  !  Tlie  child  who 
goes  for  a  merry  slide  upon  a  pond,  if  he  be  told  that 
the  ice  will  not  bear  him,  starteth  back  afi'righted, 
or  if  he  daringly  creepeth  upon  it,  how  soon  he  leaves 
it,  it*  he  hears  but  a  crack  upon  the  slender  covering 
of  the  water  !  But  you  men  have  conscience,  which 
tells  you  that  your  sins  are  vile,  and  that  they  will 
be  your  ruin ;  you  hear  the  crack  of  sin,  as  its  thin 
sheet  of  pleasure  gives  way  beneath  your  feet ;  aye, 


114  spurgeon's  gems. 

and  some  of  you  have  seen  jonr  comrades  sink  in  tlie 
flood,  and  lost ;  and  yet  ye  go  sliding  on,  worse  than 
childish,  worse  than  mad  are  you,  thus  presumptu- 
ously to  play  with  your  own  everlasting  state.  O  my 
God,  how  terrible  is  the  presumption  of  some  !  How 
fearful  is  presumption  in  any  !  Oh  !  that  we  might 
be  enabled  to  cry,  "  Keep  back  thv  servant  also  from 
presumptuous  sins." 


OH !  ye  kind  and  affectionate  hearts,  who  are  not 
rich  in  wealth,  but  who  are  rich  in  love — and 
that  is  the  world's  best  wealth — put  this  golden  coin 
among  your  silver  ones,  and  it  will  sanctify  them.  Get 
Christ's  love  shed  abroad  in  your  hearts,  and  your 
mother's  love,  your  daughter's  love,  your  husband's 
love,  your  wife's  love,  will  become  more  sweet  than 
ever.  The  love  of  Christ  casts  not  out  the  love  of  re- 
latives, but  it  sanctifies  our  loves,  and  makes  them 
sweeter  far.  Remember  the  love  of  men  and  women 
is  very  sweet ;  but  all  must  pass  away ;  and  what 
will  you  do,  if  you  have  no  wealth  but  the  wealth 
that  fadeth,  and  no  love  but  the  love  which  dies,  when 
death  shall  come  ?  Oh !  to  have  the  love  of  Christ ! 
You  can  take  that  across  the  river  of  death  with  you ; 
you  can  wear  it  as  your  bracelet  in  heaven,  and  set  it 
up  as  a  seal  upon  your  hand  ;  for  his  love  is  "  strong  as 
death  and  mightier  than  the  grave." 


8PURGE0N  S   GEMS.  115 

BEHOLD,  him  wliom  tliou  canst  not  behold !  Lift 
np  thine  ejes  to  the  seventh  heaven  ;  see  where, 
in  dreadful  majesty,  the  brightness  of  his  skirts  makes 
the  angels  veil  their  faces,  lest  the  light,  too  strong 
for  even  them,  should  smite  them  with  eternal  blind- 
ness. See  ye  him,  who  stretched  the  heavens  like  a 
tent  to  dwell  in,  and  then  did  weave  into  their  tapes- 
try, with  golden  needle,  stars  that  glitter  in  the  dark- 
ness. Mark  ye  him  who  spread  the  earth,  and 
created  man  upon  it.  And  hear  ye  what  he  is.  He 
is  all-sufficient,  eternal,  self-existent,  unchangeable, 
omnipotent,  omniscient !  Wilt  thou  not  reverence 
him?  He  is  good,  he  is  loving,  he  is  kind,  he  is 
gracious !  See  the  bounties  of  his  providence ;  be- 
hold the  plenitude  of  his  grace  !  Wilt  thou  not  love 
Jehovah,  because  he  is  Jehovah  ? 


r'  seems  too  costly  for  him  who  is  the  Prince  of 
Life  and  Glory  to  let  his  fair  limbs  be  tortured  in 
agony  ;  that  the  hands  which  carried  mercies  should 
be  pierced  with  accursed  nails;  that  the  temples 
that  were  always  clothed  with  love  should  have,  cruel 
thorns  driven  through  them.  It  apjDcars  too  much. 
Oh  !  weep.  Christian,  and  let  our  sorrow  rise.  Is  not 
the  price  all  but  too  great,  that  your  beloved  should 
for  you  resign  himself? 


116  spukgeon's  gems. 

IT  is  marvellous  that  the  men  who  most  of  all  rail 
at  faith  are  remarkable  for  credulity.  One  of  the 
greatest  unbelievers  in  the  world,  who  has  called 
himself  a  free-thinker  from  his  birth,  is  to  be  found 
now  tottering  into  his  tomb,  believing  the  veriest  ab- 
surdity that  a  child  might  confute,  l^ot  caring  to 
have  God  in  their  hearts,  forsaking  the  living  foun- 
tain, they  have  hewn  out  to  themselves  cisterns  which 
are  broken,  and  hold  no  water.  Oh !  that  we  may 
each  of  us  be  more  wise,  that  we  may  not  forsake  the 
good  old  path,  nor  leave  the  way  that  God  hath  pre- 
pared for  us.  What  wonder  we  should  travel 
amongst  thorns  and  briars,  and  rend  our  own  fleshy 
or  worse  than  that,  fall  among  dark  mountains,  and 
be  lost  amongst  the  chasms  thereof,  if  we  despise 
the  guidance  of  an  unerring  Father. 


ACUE'OT^N'G  enemy  we  have  to  deal  with ;  he 
knows  our  weak  points ;  he  has  been  dealing 
with  men  for  these  last  six  thousand  years ;  he  knows 
all  about  them.  He  is  possessed  of  a  gigantic  intellect ; 
though  he  be  a  fallen  spirit ;  and  he  is  easily  able  to 
discover  where  our  sore  places  are,  and  there  it  is  he 
immediately  attacks  us.  If  we  be  like  Achilles,  and 
cannot  be  wounded  anywhere  but  in  our  heel,  then 
at  the  heel  he  will  send  his  dart,  and  nowhere  else. 


SPURGEON  S   GEMS.  117 

THERE  are  some  that  are  like  what  is  fabled  of  the 
swan.  The  ancients  said  the  swan  never  sang  in 
his  life-time,  but  always  sang  just  when  he  die^. 
]^ow,  there  are  many  of  God's  desponding  children, 
who  seem  to  go  all  their  life  under  a  cloud  ;  but  they 
get  a  swan's  song  before  they  die.  The  river  of  their 
life  comes  running  down,  perhaps  black  and  miry 
with  troubles,  and  when  it  begins  to  touch  the  white 
foam  of  the  sea  there  comes  a  little  glistening  in  its 
waters.  So,  beloved,  though  we  may  have  been  very 
much  dispirited  by  reason  of  the  burden  of  the  way, 
when  we  get  to  the  end  we  shall  have  sweet  songs. 
Are  you  afraid  of  dying  ?  Oh !  never  be  afraid  of 
that ;  be  afraid  of  living.  Living  is  the  only  thing 
which  can  do  any  mischief;  dying  never  can  hurt  a 
Christian.  Afraid  of  the  grave  ?  It  is  like  the  bath 
of  Esther,  in  which  she  lay  for  a  time,  to  purify  her- 
self with  spices,  that  she  might  be  fit  for  her  lord. 
Tlie  grave  fits  the  body  for  heaven.  There  it  lieth  : 
and  corruption,  earth,  and  worms,  do  but  refine  and 
purify  our  flesh.  Be  not  afraid  of  dying  ;  it  does  not 
take  any  time  at  all.  All  that  death  is,  is  emancipa- 
tion, deliverance,  heaven's  bliss  to  a  child  of  God. 
ISTever  fear  it ;  it  will  be  a  singing  time.  You  are 
afraid  of  dying,  you  say,  because  of  the  pains  of 
death.  Nay,  they  are  the  pains  of  life — of  life  strug- 
gling to  continue.     Death  has  no  pain  ;  death  itself 


118  SPURGEON  S   GEMS. 

is  but  one  gentle  sigh — the  fetter  is  broken,  and  the 
spirit  fled.  The  best  moment  of  a  Christian's  life  is 
hffe  last  one,  because  it  is  the  one  that  is  nearest  hea- 
ven ;  and  then  it  is  that  he  begins  to  strike  the  key- 
note of  the  song  which  he  shall  sing  to  all  eternity. 


IT  may  be,  that  during  a  sermon  two  men  are  listen- 
ing to  the  same  truth  ;  one  of  them  hears  as  atten- 
tively as  the  other  and  remembers  as  much  of  it ;  the 
other  is  melted  to  tears  or  moved  with  solemn 
thoughts  ;  but  the  one  though  equally  attentive,  sees 
nothing  in  the  sermon,  except,  may  be,  certain  impor- 
tant truths  well  set  forth  ;  as  for  the  other,  his  heart  is 
broken  within  him  and  his  soul  is  melted.  Ask  me 
how  it  is  that  the  same  truth  has  an  effect  upon  the 
one,  and  not  upon  his  fellow  :  I  reply,  because  the 
mysterious  Spirit  of  the  living  God  goes  with  the 
truth  to  one  heart  and  not  to  the  other.  The  one  only 
feels  the  force  of  truth,  and  that  may  be  strong 
enough  to  make  him  tremble,  like  Felix;  but  the 
other  feels  the  Spirit  going  with  the  truth,  and  that 
renews  the  man,  regenerates  him,  and  causes  him  to 
pass  into  that  gracious  condition  which  is  called  the 
state  of  salvation.  This  change  takes  place  instanta- 
neously. It  is  as  miraculous  a  change  as  any  miracle 
of  which  we  read  in  Scripture.      It  is  supremely 


spttrgeon's  gemb.  119 

supernatural.  It  may  be  mimicked,  but  no  imita- 
tion of  it  can  be  true  and  real.  Men  may  pretend 
to  be  regenerated  without  the  Spirit,  but  regene- 
rated they  cannot  be.  It  is  a  change  so  marvellous 
that  the  highest  attempts  of  man  can  never  reach  it. 
We  may  reason  as  long  as  we  please,  but  we  cannot 
reason  ourselves  into  regeneration  ;  w^e  may  meditate 
till  our  hairs  are  grey  with  study ;  but  we  cannot  me- 
ditate ourselves  into  the  new  birth.  That  is  worked 
in  us  by  the  sovereign  will  of  God  alone. 


MAEK  ANTONY  yoked  two  lions  to  his  chariot ; 
but  there  are  two  lions  no  man  ever  yoked  to- 
gether yet — the  lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  the 
lion  of  tlie  pit.  These  can  never  go  together.  Two 
opinions  you  may  hold  in  politics,  perhaps,  but  then 
you  will  be  despised  by  everybody,  unless  you  are  of 
one  opinion  or  the  other,  and  act  as  an  independent 
man.  But  two  opinions  in  the  matter  of  soul-religion 
you  cannot  hold.  K  God  be  God,  serve  him,  and  do 
it  thoroughly  ;  but  if  this  world  be  God,  serve  it,  and 
make  no  profession  of  religion.  If  you  are  a  world- 
ling, and  think  the  things  of  the  world  the  best,  serve 
them  ;  devote  yourself  to  them,  do  not  be  kept  back 
by  conscience  ;  spite  your  conscience,  and  run  into 
sin.     But  remember,  if  the  Lord  be  your  God,  you 


120  spurgeon's  gems. 

cannot  have  Baal  too  ;  jon  must  have  one  thing  or 
else  the  other.  "  'No  man  can  serve  two  masters^  If 
God  be  served,  he  will  be  a  master ;  and  if  the  devil 
be  served,  he  will  not  be  long  before  he  will  be  a 
master  ;  and  "  ye  cannot  serve  two  mastersP  Oh  ! 
be  wise,  and  think  not  that  the  two  can  be  mingled 
together. 


IF  God  be  really  worthy  of  worship,  and  yon  really 
think  so,  I  demand  that  yon  either  follow  him,  or 
else  deny  that  he  is  God  at  all.  [N'ow,  professor,  if 
thou  sayest  that  Christ's  gospel  is  the  gospel,  if  thou 
believest  in  the  divinity  of  the  gospel,  and  puttest 
thy  trust  in  Christ,  I  demand  of  thee  to  follow  out 
the  gospel,  not  merely  because  it  will  be  to  thy 
advantage,  but  because  the  gospel  is  divine.  If  thou 
makest  a  profession  of  being  a  child  of  God,  if  thou 
art  a  believer,  and  thinkest  and  believest  religion  is 
the  best,  the  service  of  God  the  most  desirable,  I  do 
not  come  to  plead  with  thee  because  of  any  advan- 
tage thou  wouldst  get  by  being  holy ;  it  is  en  this 
ground  that  I  put  it,  that  the  Lord  is  God ;  and  if  he 
be  God,  it  is  thy  business  to  serve  him.  If  his  gospel 
be  true,  and  thou  believest  it  to  be  true,  it  is  thy 
duty  to  carry  it  out.  If  thou  sayest,  Christ  is  not 
the  Son  of  God,  carry  out  thy  Jewish  or  thy  infidel 
convictions,  and  see  whether  it  will  end  well.     K 


spukgeon's  gems.  121 

thou  dost  not  believe  Christ  to  be  tlie  Son  of  God, 
if  tlion  art  a  Mahometan,  be  consistent,  carry  out  thy 
Mahometan  convictions,  and  see  whether  it  will  end 
well.  But,  take  heed,  take  heed  !  K  however,  thou 
sayest  God  is  God,  and  Christ  the  Saviour,  and  the 
gospel  true  ;  I  demand  of  thee,  only  on  this  account, 
that  thou  carry  it  out. 


0 


CIIILDEE:N'  of  God  !  death  hath  lost  its  sting, 
because  the  devil's  power  over  it  is  destroyed. 
Then  cease  to  fear  dying.  Thou  knowest  what 
death  is  :  look  him  in  the  face,  and  tell  him  thou 
art  not  afraid  of  him.  Ask  grace  from  God,  that 
by  an  intimate  knowledge  and  a  firm  belief  of  thy 
master's  death,  thou  mayest  be  strengthened  for 
that  dread  hour.  And  mark  me,  if  thou  so  livest, 
thou  mayest  be  able  to  think  of  death  with  pleasure, 
and  to  welcome  it  when  it  comes  with  intense  de- 
light. It  is  sweet  to  die  :  to  lie  upon  the  breast  of 
Christ,  and  have  one's  soul  kissed  out  of  one's  body 
by  the  lips  of  divine  afFectioii.  And  you  that  have 
lost  friends,  or  that  may  be  bereaved,  sorrow  not  as 
those  that  are  without  hope ;  for  remember  the 
power  of  the  devil  is  taken  away.  What  a  sweet 
thought  the  death  of  Christ  brings  us  concerning 
those    who    are    departed !      They    are    gone,   my 

6 


122  sptjrgeon's  gems. 

brethren ;  but  do  you  know  how  far  they  have 
gone  ?  The  distance  between  the  glorified  spirits 
in  heaven  and  the  militant  saints  on  earth  seems 
great ;  but  it  is  not  so.     We  are  not  far  from  home. 

"  One  gentle  sigh  the  spirit  breaks, 

We  scarce  can  say  'tis  gone, 

Before  the  ransomed  spirit  takes 

Its  station  near  the  throne." 

We  measure  distance  by  time.  We  are  apt  to  say 
that  a  certain  place  is  so  many  hours  from  us.  K  it 
is  a  hundred  miles  off  and  there  is  no  railroad  we 
think  it  a  long  way  ;  if  there  is  a  railway,  we  think 
w^e  can  be  tliere  in  no  time.  But  how  near  must  we 
say  heaven  is  ?  For  it  is  j  ust  one  sigh  and  we  get 
there.  Why,  my  brethren,  our  departed  friends  are 
only  in  the  upper  room,  as  it  were,  of  the  same  house ; 
they  have  not  gone  far  off ;  they  are  up  stairs,  and 
we  are  down  below. 


IT  is  said  that  where  the  most  beautiful  cacti  grow, 
there  the  venomous  serpents  are  to  be  foimd  at 
the  root  of  every  plant.  And  it  is  so  with  sin.  Your 
fairest  pleasures  will  harbor  your  grossest  sins.  Take 
care  ;  take  care  of  your  pleasures.  Cleopatra's  asp 
was  introduced  in  a  basket  of  flowers  ;  so  are  our  sins 
often  brought  to  us  in  the  flowers  of  our  pleasures . 


SPrRGEON  S    GEMS.  123 

GOD,  the  Aliniglity,  though  he  might  use  intru- 
ments,  was  nevertheless  the  sole  creator  of  man. 
Though  he  is  pleased  to  bring  us  into  the  world  by 
the  agency  of  our  progenitors,  yet  is  he  as  much  our 
Creator  as  he  was  the  Creator  of  Adam,  when  he 
formed  him  of  clay  and  made  him  man.  Look  at 
this  marvellous  body  of  thine  :  see  how  God  hath  put 
the  bones  together,  so  as  to  be  of  the  greatest  service 
and  use  to  thee.  See  how  he  hath  arranged  thy  nerves 
and  blood-vessels;  mark  the  marvellous  machinery 
which  he  has  employed  to  keep  thee  in  life  !  O  thing 
of  an  hour  !  wilt  thou  not  love  him  that  made  thee  ? 
Is  it  possible  that  thou  canst  think  of  him  who  formed 
thee  in  his  hand,  and  molded  thee  by  his  will,  and 
yet  wilt  thou  not  love  him  who  hath  fashioned  thee  ? 


YOU  may  think  to  live  very  well  without  Christ, 
but  you  cannot  afford  to  die  without  him.  You 
can  stand  very  securely  at  present,  but  death  will 
shake  your  confidence.  Your  tree  may  be  fair  now, 
but  when  the  wind  comes,  if  it  has  not  its  roots  in  the 
Kock  of  Ages,  down  it  must  come.  You  may  think 
your  worldly  pleasures  good,  but  they  will  then  turn 
bitter  as  wormwood  in  your  taste  ;  worse  than  gall 
shall  be  the  daintiest  of  your  drinks,  when  you  shall 
come  to  the  bottom  of  your  poisoned  bowl. 


124:  spuegeon's  gems. 

IVrO  inferior  hand  liath  sketched  even  so  mnch  as 
-1-1    the  most  minute  parts  of  providence.      It  was 
all,  from  its  Alpha  to  its  Omega,  from  its  divine  pre- 
face to  its  solemn  finis,  marked  out,  designed,  sketched 
and  planned  by  the  mind  of  the  all-wise,  all-knowing 
God.     Hence,  not  even  Christ's  death  was  exempt 
from  it.     He  that  wings  an  angel  and  guides  a  spar- 
row, he  that  protects  the  hairs  of  our  head  from  fall- 
ing prematurely  to  the  ground,  was  not  likely,  when 
he  took  notice   of  such  little  things,  to  omit  in  his 
solemn  decrees  the  greatest  wonder  of  earth's  mira- 
cles, the  death  of  Christ.     JSTo ;  the  blood-stained  page 
of  that  book,  the  page  which  makes  both  past  and 
future  glorious  with  golden  words — that  blood-stained 
page,  I  say,  was  as  much  written  of  Jehovah  as  any 

other. 

•-♦-• — " 

YOU  may  well  conceive  how  swiftly  the  mariner 
flies  from  a  threatening  storm,  or  seeks  the  port 
where  he  will  find  his  home.  You  have  sometimes 
seen  how  the  ship  cuts  through  the  billows,  leaving 
a  white  furrow  behind  her,  and  causing  the  sea  to 
boil  around  her.  Such  is  life,  says  Job,  "  like  the 
swift  ships,"  when  the  sails  are  filled  by  the  wind,  and 
the  vessel  dashes  on,  dividing  a  passage  through  the 
crowded  water.  Swift  are  the  ships,  but  swifter  far 
is  life.     The  wind  of  time  bears  me  along.     I  cannot 


8PUEGE0N  S    GEMS.  125 

stop  its  motion ;  I  may  direct  it  with  the  rudder  of 
God's  Holy  Spirit;  I  may,  it  is  true,  take  in  some 
small  sails  of  sin,  which  might  hnrry  my  days  on 
faster  than  otherwise  they  would  go ;  but  neverthe- 
less, like  a  swift  ship,  my  life  must  speed  on  its  way 
until  it  reaches  its  haven.  Where  is  that  haven  to 
be  ?  Shall  it  be  found  in  the  land  of  bitterness  and 
barrenness,  that  dreary  region  of  the  lost?  Or  shall 
it  be  that  sweet  haven  of  eternal  peace,  where  not  a 
troubling  wave  can  ruffle  the  quiescent  glory  of  my 
spirit  ?  Wherever  the  haven  is  to  be,  that  truth  is 
the  same,  we  are  "  like  the  swift  ships." 


TIIEEE  is  one  great  event,  which  every  day  at- 
tracts more  admiration  than  do  the  sun,  and 
moon,  and  stars,  when  they  march  in  their  courses. 
That  event  is,  the  death  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  To 
it  the  eyes  of  all  the  saints  who  lived  before  the 
Christian  era  were  always  directed  ;  and  backwards, 
through  the  thousand  years  of  history,  the  eyes  of  all 
modern  saints  are  looking.  Upon  Christ,  the  angels 
in  heaven  perpetually  gaze.  "Which  things  the 
angels  desire  to  look  into,"  said  the  apostle.  Upon 
Christ,  the  myriad  eyes  of  the  redeemed  are  perpetu- 
ally fixed  ;  and  thousands  of  pilgrims,  through  this 
world  of  tears,  have  no  higher  object  for  their  faith, 


126  spurgeon's  gems. 

and  no  better  desire  for  their  vision,  than  to  see  Christ 
as  he  is  in  heaven,  and  in  communion  to  behold  his 
person.  Beloved,  we  shall  have  many  with  ns,  whi]st 
we  turn  our  face  to  the  Mount  of  Calvary.  We  shall 
not  be  solitary  spectators  of  the  fearful  tragedy  of  our 
Saviour's  death :  we  shall  but  dart  our  eyes  to  that 
place  which  is  the  focus  of  heaven's  joy  and  delight, 
the  cross  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 


HAPPY  is  the  nation  which  is  blessed  with  the 
means  of  grace.  'No  man  was  ever  saved  by 
the  means  of  grace  apart  from  the  Holy  Spirit.  You 
may  hear  the  sermons  of  the  man  whom  God  delight- 
eth  to  honor  ;  ye  may  select  from  all  your  divines  the 
writings  of  the  man  whom  God  did  bless  with  a  double 
portion  of  his  Holy  Spirit ;  ye  may  attend  every  meet- 
ing for  prayer ;  ye  may  turn  over  the  leaves  of  this 
blessed  book  ;  but  in  all  this,  there  is  no  life  for  the 
soul  apart  from  the  bi'eath  of  the  Divine  Spirit.  Use 
these  means,  we  exhort  you  to  use  them,  and  use 
them  diligently  ;  but  recollect  that  in  none  of  these 
means  is  there  anything  that  can  benefit  you  unless 
God  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  own  and  crown  them. 
These  are  like  tlie  conduit  pipes  of  the  market  place  ; 
when  the  fountain-head  floweth  with  water  then  they 
are  full,  and  we  do  derive  a  blessing  from  them  ;  but 


spuegeon's  gems.  127 

if  ihe  stream  be  stayed,  if  the  fountain  head  doth 
cease  to  give  forth  its  current,  then  these  are  wells 
without  water,  clouds  without  rain  ;  and  ye  may  go 
to  ordinances  as  an  Arab  turns  to  his  skin  bottle 
when  it  is  dry,  and  with  your  parched  lips  ye  may 
Buck  the  wind  and  drink  the  whirlwind,  but  receive 
neither  comfort,  nor  blessing,  nor  instruction,  from 
the  means  of  grace. 


IF  little  things  have  done  great  things,  let  us  try  to 
do  great  things  also.  You  know  not,  ye  atoms, 
but  that  your  destiny  is  sublime.  Try  and  make  it 
so  by  faith ;  and  the  least  of  you  may  be  mighty 
through  the  strength  of  God.  Oh  for  grace  to  trust 
God,  and  there  is  no  telling  what  ye  can  do. 
"Worms,  ye  are  nothing,  but  ye  have  eaten  princes  ; 
worms,  ye  are  nothing,  but  ye  have  devoured  the 
roots  of  cedars,  and  laid  them  level  with  the  earth ; 
worms,  ye  are  nothing,  but  ye  have  piled  rocks  in 
the  deep,  deep  sea,  and  wrecked  mighty  navies ; 
worms,  ye  have  eaten  through  the  keel  of  the 
proudest  ship  that  ever  sailed  the  ocean.  K  ye  have 
done  this  yourselves,  what  cannot  we  do?  your 
strength  lies  in  your  mouths  ;  our  strength  lies  in  ours 
too.  We  will  use  our  mouths  in  prayer,  and  in  con- 
stant adoration,  and  we  shall  conquer  yet,  for  God  is 
with  us,  and  victory  is  sure. 


128  spukgeon's  gems. 

IT  would  be  presumption  for  any  man  to  climb  to 
tlie  top  of  the  spire  of  a  cliurcli,  and  stand  npon 
his  head.  "  Well,  but  he  might  come  down  safe  if 
he  were  skilled  in  it."  Yes,  but  it  is  presumptuous. 
I  would  no  more  think  of  subscribing  a  farthing  to  a 
man's  ascent  in  a  balloon,  than  I  would  to  a  poor 
wretch  cutting  his  own  throat.  I  would  no  more 
think  of  standing  and  gazing  at  any  man  who  puts 
his  life  in  a  position  of  peril,  than  I  would  of  paying 
a  man  to  blow  his  brains  out.  I  think  such  things, 
if  not  murders,  are  murderous.  There  is  suicide  in 
men's  risking  themselves  in  that  way ;  and  if  there 
be  suicide  in  the  risk  of  the  body,  how  much  more 
in  the  case  of  a  man  who  puts  his  own  soul  in 
jeopardy  just  because  he  thinks  he  has  strength  of 
mind  enough  to  prevent  its  being  ruined  and 
destroyed.  Sir,  your  sin  is  a  sin  of  presumption  ;  it 
is  a  great  and  grievous  one  ;  it  is  one  of  the  master- 
pieces of  iniquity. 


WHILST  thou  hast  a  rag  of  thine  own  thou  shalt 
never  have  Christ ;  whilst  thou  hast  a  farthing 
of  thine  own  righteousness,  thou  shalt  never  have  him ; 
but  when  thou  art  nothing,  Christ  is  thine  ;  when 
thou  hast  nothing  of  thyself  to  trust  to,  Jesus  Christ 
in  the  gospel  is  thy  complete  Saviour ;  he  bids  me 
tell  thee  he  came  to  seek  and  to  save  such  as  thou  art. 


SPUEGEON  8    GEMS.  129 

THEEE  is  no  difference,  by  nature,  between  the 
elect  and  others :  those  who  are  now  glorified  in 
heaven,  and  who  walk  the  golden  streets,  clad  in 
robes  of  purity,  were  by  nature  as  unholy  and  de- 
filed, and  as  far  from  original  righteousness,  as  those 
who,  by  their  own  rejection  of  Christ,  and  by  their 
love  of  sin,  have  brought  themselves  into  the  pit  of 
eternal  torment,  as  a  punishment  for  their  iniquities. 
The  only  reason  why  there  is  a  difference  between 
those  who  are  in  heaven  and  those  who  are  in  hell, 
rests  with  divine  grace,  and  with  divine  grace  alone. 
Those  in  heaven  must  inevitably  have  been  cast 
away,  had  not  everlasting  mercy  stretched  out  its 
hand  and  redeemed  them.  They  were  by  nature 
not  one  whit  superior  to  others.  Tliey  would  as 
certainly  have  rejected  Christ,  and  have  trodden 
under  foot  the  blood  of  Jesus,  as  did  those  who  were 
cast  away,  if  grace — free  grace — ^liad  not  prevented 
them  from  committing  this  sin.  The  reason  why 
they  are  Christians  is  not  because  they  did  naturally 
will  to  be  so,  nor  because  they  did  by  nature  desire 
to  know  Christ,  or  to  be  found  of  him ;  but  they  are 
now  saints  simply  because  God  made  them  so.  He 
gave  them  the  desire  to  be  saved  ;  he  put  into  them 
the  will  to  seek  after  him ;  he  helped  them  in  their 
seekings,  and  afterward  brought  them  to  feel  that 
peace  which  is   the  fruit  of  justification.     But  by 

6* 


130  spuegeon's  gems. 

nature  they  were  just  the  same  as  others ;  and  if 
there  is  any  difference,  we  are  obliged  to  say  that 
the  difference  does  not  lie  in  their  favor.  In  very 
many  cases,  we  who  now  "rejoice  in  hope  of  the 
glory  of  God"  were  the  very  worst  of  men.  There 
are  multitudes  that  now  bless  God  for  their  redemp- 
tion who  once  cursed  him;  who  implored,  as  fre- 
quently as  they  dare  to  do,  with  oaths  and  swearing, 
that  the  curse  of  God  might  rest  upon  their  fellows 
and  upon  themselves.  Many  of  the  Lord's  anointed 
were  once  the  very  castaways  of  Satan,  the  sweep- 
ings of  society,  the  refuse  of  the  earth,  those  whom 
no  man  cares  for — who  were  called  outcasts,  but 
whom  God  hath  now  called  desired  ones,  seeing  he 
hath  loved  them. 


DOUBT  the  Eternal,  distrust  the  Omnipotent? 
O  traitorous  fear !  thinkest  thou  that  the  arm 
wdiich  piled  the  heavens,  and  sustains  the  pillars  of 
the  earth,  shall  ever  be  palsied?  Shall  the  brow 
which  eternal  ages  have  rolled  over  without  scathing 
it,  at  last  be  furrowed  by  old  age  ?  What !  shall  the 
Eternal  fail  thee  ?  God  is  too  wise  to  err,  too  good 
to  be  unkind  ;  leave  off  doubting  him,  and  begin  to 
trust  him,  for  in  so  doing,  thou  wilt  put  a  crown 
on  his  head,  but  in  doubting  him  thou  dost  trample 
his  crown  beneath  thy  feet. 


spurgeon's  gems.  131 

KEEP  prayer  going ;  do  not  neglect  your  prayer 
meetings.  Christmas  Evans  gives  us  a  good 
idea  about  prayer.  He  says,  "  Prayer  is  the  rope 
in  the  belfry ;  we  pull  it,  and  it  rings  the  bell  up  in, 
heaven."  And  so  it  is.  Mind  you  keep  that  bell 
going.  Pull  it  well.  Come  up  to  prayer  meetings. 
Keep  on  pulling  it ;  and  though  the  bell  is  up  so 
high  that  you  cannot  hear  it  ring,  depend  upon  it  it 
can  be  heard  in  the  tower  of  heaven,  and  is  ringing 
before  the  throne  of  God,  who  will  give  you  answers 
of  peace  according  to  your  faith.  May  your  faith 
be  large  and  plentiful,  and  so  will  your  answers  be ! 


THEPE  is  enough  tinder  in  the  heart  of  the  best 
men  in  the  world  to  light  a  fire  that  shall  burn 
to  the  lowest  hell,  unless  God  should  quench  the 
sparks  as  they  fall.  There  is  enough  corruption, 
depravity,  and  wickedness  in  the  heart  of  the  most 
holy  man  that  is  now  alive  to  damn  his  soul  to  all 
eternity,  if  free  and  sovereign  grace  does  not  pre- 
vent. O  Christian !  thou  hast  need  to  pray  this 
prayer.  But  I  think  I  hear  you  saying,  "Is  thy 
servant  a  dog  that  I  should  do  this  thing  ?"  So 
said  Hazael,  when  the  prophet  told  him  that  he 
would  slay  his  master  ;  but  he  went  home,  and  took 
a  wet  cloth  and  spread  it  over  his  master's  face  and 
choked  him,  and  did  the  next  da}^  the  sin  which  he 


132  spuegeon's  gems. 

abliorred  before.  Think  it  not  enough  to  abhor  sin ; 
you  may  yet  fall  into  it.  Say  not  "I  never  can  be 
drunken,  for  I  have  such  an  abhorrence  of  drunken- 
ness ;"  thoLi  may  est  fall  where  thou  art  most  secure. 
Say  not  "  I  can  never  blaspheme  God,  for  I  have 
never  done  so  in  my  life  ;"  take  care,  you  may  yet 
swear  most  profanely.  Job  might  have  said,  ''  I  will 
never  curse  the  day  of  my  birth  ;"  but  he  lived  to  do 
it.  He  was  a  patient  man  ;  he  might  have  said,  "  I 
will  never  murmur ;  though  he  slay  me  yet  will  I 
trust  in  him ;"  and  yet  he  lived  to  wish  that  the  day 
were  darkness  wherein  he  was  brought  forth.  Boast 
not  then,  O  Christian !_  by  faith  thou  standest.  ''  Let 
him  that  thinketh  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  he 
fall." 


¥E  never  read  that  Joshua's  hand  was  weary 
with  wielding  the  sword,  but  Moses'  hand  was 
weary  with  holding  the  rod.  The  more  spiritual  the 
duty,  the  more  apt  we  are  to  tire  of  it.  We  could 
stand  and  preach  all  day  ;  but  we  could  not  pray  all 
day.  We  could  go  forth  to  see  the  sick  all  day,  but 
we  could  not  be  in  our  closets  all  day  one  half  so 
easily.  To  spend  a  night  with  God  in  prayer  would 
be  far  more  difficult  than  to  sj)end  a  night  with  man 
in  preaching.  Oh !  take  care,  take  care.  Church  of 
Christ,  that  thou  dost  not  cease  thy  prayei's  J 


spurgeon's  gems.  133 

Al^GELS  had  been  present  on  many  angust  occa- 
sions, and  they  had  joined  in  many  a  solemn 
chorus  to  the  praise  of  their  Ahniglity  Creator.  They 
were  present  at  the  creation :  "  The  morning  stars 
sang  together,  and  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for 
joy."  They  had  seen  many  a  planet  fashioned  be- 
tween the  palms  of  Jeliovah,  and  wheeled  by  his 
eternal  hands  through  the  infinitude  of  space.  They 
had  sung  solemn  songs  over  many  a  world  wliich  the 
Great  One  had  created.  We  doubt  not,  thev  had 
often  chanted  "  Blessing  and  honor,  and  glory,  and 
majesty,  and  power,  and  dominion,  and  might,  be 
unto  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,"  manifesting 
himself  in  the  work  of  creation.  I  doubt  not,  too, 
tliat  their  songs  had  gathered  force  through  ages. 
As  when  first  created,  their  first  breath  was  song,  so 
when  they.saw  God  create  new  worlds  else  their  song 
received  another  note ;  they  rose  a  little  higher  in 
the  gamut  of  adoration.  But  this  time,  when  they 
saw  God  stoop  from  his  throne,  and  become  a  babe, 
hanging  upon  a  woman's  breast,  they  lifted  their 
notes  higher  still ;  and  reaching  to  the  uttermost 
stretch  of  angelic  music,  they  gained  the  highest 
notes  of  the  divine  scale  of  praise,  and  they  sung, 
"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest^''  for  higher  in  good- 
ness they  felt  God  could  not  go.  Thus  their  highest 
praise  they  gave  to  him  in  the  highest  act  of  his  god- 


134  spurgeon's  gems. 

head.  K  it  be  true  that  there  is  a  hierarchy  of 
angels  rising  tier  upon  tier  in  magnificence  and  dig- 
nity— if  the  apostle  teaches  ns  that  there  be  "  angels, 
and  princij^alities,  and  powers,  and  thrones,  and  do- 
minions," amongst  these  blest  inhabitants  of  the 
upper  world — ^I  can  suppose  that  when  the  intelli- 
gence was  first  communicated  to  those  angels  that 
are  to  be  found  upon  the  outskirts  of  the  heavenly 
world,  when  they  looked  down  from  heaven  and  saw 
the  new-bom  babe,  they  sent  the  news  backward  to 
the  place  whence  the  miracle  first  proceeded,  singing 

"  Angels  from  the  realms  of  glory, 

Wing  your  downward  flight  to  earth, 

Ye  who  sing  creation's  story, 
Now  proclaim  Messiah's  birth ;  / 

Come  and  worship, 

Worship  Christ,  the  new-born  King." 

A.nd  as  the  message  ran  from  rank  to  rank,  at  last  the 
presence  angels,  those  four  cherubim  that  perpetually 
watch  around  the  throne  of  God — those  wheels  with 
eyes — took  up  the  strain,  and  gathering  up  the  song 
of  all  the  inferior  grades  of  angels,  surmounted  the 
divine  pinnacle  of  harmony  with  their  own  solemn 
chant  of  adoration,  upon  which  the  entire  host  shouted, 
"  The  highest  angels  praise  thee." — "  Glory  to  God  in 
the  higliest."  Aye,  there  is  no  mortal  that  can  ever 
dream  how  magnificent  was  that  song.     Tlien,  note, 


spukgeon's  gems.  135 

if  angels  shouted  before  and  wlien  the  world  was 
made,  their  hallelujahs  were  more  full,  more  strong, 
more  magnificent,  if  not  more  hearty,  when  they  saw 
Jesus  Christ  born  of  the  Yirgin  Mary  to  be  man's 
redeemer — "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest." 


THE  Bible  is  a  vein  of  pure  gold,  unalloyed  by 
quartz,  or  any  earthly  substance.  This  is  a  star 
without  a  speck;  a  sun  without  a  blot;  a  light  with 
out  darkness  ;  a  moon  without  its  paleness  ;  a  glory 
without  a  dimness.  0  Bible  !  it  cannot  be  said  of 
any  other  book,  that  it  is  perfect  and  pure  ;  but  of 
thee  we  can  declare  all  wisdom  is  gathered  up  in 
thee,  without  a  particle  of  folly.  This  is  the  judge 
tliat  ends  the  strife,  where  wit  and  reason  fail.  This 
is  the  book  untainted  by  any  error  ;  but  is  pure,  un- 
alloyed, perfect  truth. 


¥E  too  often  flog  the  church  when  the  whip 
should  be  laid  on  our  own  shoulders.  We 
drag  the  church,  like  a  colossal  culprit,  to  the  altar ; 
we  bind  her,  and  try  to  execute  her  at  once  ;  we 
bind  her  hands  fast,  and  tear  off  thongful  after 
thongful  of  her  quivering  flesh — finding  fault  with 
her  where  there  is  none,  and  magnifying  her  little 
errors ;  while  we  too  often  forget  ourselves. 


136  spuegeon's  gems. 

LOOK  on  the  sleeper.  Hq  has  been  weary ;  he 
hath  toiled  all  day  long  ;  but  there  is  no  weari- 
ness now.  He  breathes  softly,  sometimes  a  dream 
may  disturb  him,  but  he  is  not  weary ;  he  is  resting 
in  the  unconsciousness  of  slumber.  It  is  often  pleas- 
ing to  look  upon  the  face  of  a  weary  sleeper.  Have 
ye  never  passed  along  a  country  lane,  and  there,  by 
the  road-side,  seen  the  harvest-man,  as  he  is  resting 
awhile  from  his  toils,  laid  down  upon  the  bank  ? 
"What  a  heavy  sleep  he  has,  and  what  a  blessed 
smile  there  is  on  his  countenance  while  he  is  enjoy- 
ing that  rest !  Such  is  the  natural  sleep  of  the 
body ;  and  is  not  this  sleep  of  death  a  resting  after 
toil  ?  The  poor  limbs  are  weary ;  they  are  now 
stretched  in  the  grave,  and  covered  over  with  the 
green  sod,  that  they  may  not  hear  the  noise  above 
their  heads,  nor  be  disturbed  by  the  busy  din. 
They  are  put  in  their  quiet  abodes,  down  deep  there 
in  the  earth,  that  none  may  alarm  them ;  and  now 
let  the  cannon  roar  o'er  their  tomb,  let  the  thunder 
shake  the  sky,  let  the  liglitning  flash,  no  sight  nor 
sound  can  startle  them,  or  cause  them  dreams.  In 
such  still  chambers  of  retirement,  their  troubles  now 
are  o'er:  "There  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling, 
and  there  the  weary  be  at  rest."  Tlie  body  has 
gone  through  its  battle ;  the  warrior  sleeps,  the  con- 
queror rests;  his  brow  shall  soon  be   decked  with 


spttegeon's  gems.  137 

laurels ;  the  very  b]'ow  which  now  slumbers  in  the 
tomb  awhile  shall  yet  rise  again  to  wear  the  crown 
of  everlasting  life ;  but  now  it  rests  awhile  till  the 
preparations  are  complete  for  the  triumphant  entry 
into  the  kingdom  of  God,  when  Christ  shall  come  to 
receive  body  and  soul  into  their  everlasting  resting- 
place. 

•-♦-• — 

I  DO  think  that  one  of  the  worst  sins  a  man  can  be 
guilty  of  in  this  world  is  to  be  idle.  I  can  almost 
forgive  a  drunkard,  but  a  lazy  man  I  do  think  there 
is  very  little  pardon  for.  I  think  a  man  who  is  idle 
has  as  good  a  reason  to  be  a  penitent  before  God  as 
David  had  when  he  was  an  adulterer,  for  the  most 
abominable  thing  in  the  world  is  for  a  man  to  let  the 
grass  grow  up  to  his  ankles  and  do  nothing.  God 
never  sent  a  man  into  the  world  to  be  idle.  And 
there  are  some  who  make  a  tolerably  fair  profession, 
but  who  do  nothing  from  one  year's  end  to  the  other. 


S  ATA  IN"  is  a  fowler ;  he  has  been  so  and  is  so  still ; 
and  if  he  does  not  now  attack  us  as  the  roaring 
lion,  roaring  against  us  in  persecution,  he  attacks  us 
as  the  adder,  creeping  silently  along  the  path,  en- 
deavoring to  bite  our  heel  with  his  poisoned  fangs, 
and  weaken  the  power  of  grace  and  ruin  the  life  of 
godliness  within  us. 


138  spurgeon's  gems. 

DEATH  is  a  part  of  Satan's  dominion ;  lie  brought 
sin  into  the  world  when  he  tempted  our  mother 
Eve  to  eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  with  sin  he 
brought  also  death  into  the  world,  with  all  its  train 
of  woes.  There  had  been  likely  no  death,  if  there 
had  been  no  devil.  If  Satan  had  not  tempted,  may- 
hap man  had  not  revolted,  and  if  he  had  not  re- 
volted, he  would  have  lived  forever,  without  having 
to  undergo  the  painful  change  which  is  caused  by 
death.  I  think  death  is  the  devil's  masterpiece. 
"With  the  solitary  exception  of  hell,  death  is  cer- 
tainly the  most  Satanic  mischief  that  sin  hath  ac- 
complished. IS^othing  ever  delighted  the  heart  of 
the  devil  so  much  as  when  he  found  that  the  threat- 
ening would  be  fulfilled,  "  In  the  day  that  thou 
eatest  thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die  ;"  and  never  was 
his  malicious  heart  so  full  of  hellish  joy  as  when  he 
saw  Abel  stretched  upon  the  earth,  slain  by  the  club 
of  his  brother.  "  Aha !"  said  Satan,  "  this  is  the  first 
of  all  intelligent  creatures  that  has  died.  Oh,  how  I 
rejoice  !  This  is  the  crowning  hour  of  my  dominion. 
It  is  true  that  I  have  marred  the  glory  of  this 
earth  by  my  guileful  temptation ;  it  is  true  the  whole 
creation  groaneth  and  travaileth  in  pain  by  reason 
of  the  evil  that  I  have  brought  into  it;  but  this, 
this  is  my  masterpiece  ;  I  have  killed  man  ;  I  have 
brought  death  into  him,  and  here  lieth  the  first — the 


spuegeon's  gems.  '"        139 

first  dead  man."  Since  that  time  Satan  hatii  ever 
gloated  over  the  death  of  the  human  race,  and  he 
hath  had  some  canse  of  glory,  for  that  death  has 
been  universal.  All  have  died.  Tliongh  they  had 
been  wise  as  Solomon,  their  wisdom  could  not  spare 
their  head ;  though  they  had  been  virtuous  as  Moses, 
yet  their  virtue  could  not  avert  the  axe.  All  have 
died:  and  therefore  the  devil  hath  boasted  in  his 
triumph.  But  twice  hath  he  been  defeated  ;  but  two 
have  entered  heaven  without  dying ;  but  the  mass 
of  mankind  have  had  to  feel  the  scythe  of  death ; 
and  he  has  rejoiced  because  this,  his  mightiest  work, 
has  had  foundations  broad  as  earth,  and  a  summit 
that  reached  as  high  as  the  virtues  of  mankind  could 
climb. 


i^  r\H  !"  cries  one,  "  I  wish  I  could  escape  the  wrath 
\j  of  the  law  !  Oh  that  I  knew  that  Christ  did 
keep  the  law  for  me  !"  Stop,  then,  and  I  will  tell 
you.  Do  you  feel  to-day  that  you  are  guilty,  lost,  and 
ruined  ?  Do  you,  with  tears  in  your  eyes,  confess  that 
none  but  Jesus  can  do  you  good  ?  Are  you  willing 
to  give  up  all  trusts,  and  cast  yourself  alone  on  him 
who  died  upon  the  cross  ?  Can  you  look  to  Calvary, 
and  see  the  bleeding  sufferer,  all  crimson  with  streams 
of  gore  ?  Then  he  kept  the  law  for  you,  and  the  law 
cannot  condemn  whom  Christ  has  absolved. 


140  spuegeon's  gems. 


'VTC)NE  of  you  can  be  tlie  people  of  God  without 
--^  provoking  envy ;  and  tlie  better  you  are,  tlie 
more  you  will  be  bated.  The  ripest  fruit  is  most 
pecked  by  the  birds,  and  the  blossoms  that  have 
been  longest  on  the  tree,  are  the  most  easily  blown 
down  by  the  wind.  But  fear  not ;  you  have  naught 
to  do  with  what  man  shall  say  of  you.  If  God  loves 
you,  man  will  hate  you ;  if  God  honors  you,  man 
wdll  dishonor  you.  But  recollect,  could  ye  w^ear 
chains  of  iron  for  Christ's  sake,  ye  should  wear 
chains  of  gold  in  heaven ;  could  ye  have  rings  of 
burning  iron  round  your  waists,  ye  should  have 
your  brow  rimmed  with  gold  in  glory ;  for  blessed 
are  ye  when  men  shall  say  all  manner  of  evil  against 
you  falsely,  for  Christ's  name's  sake ;  for  so  per- 
secuted they  the  prophets  that  were  before  you. 


DOTH  the  moon  stay  herself  to  lecture  every  dog 
that  bayeth  at  her  ?  Doth  the  lion  turn  aside 
to  rend  each  cur  that  barketh  at  him  ?  Do  the  stars 
cease  to  shine  because  the  nightingales  reprove 
them  for  their  dimness  ?  Doth  the  sun  stop  in  its 
course  because  of  the  officious  cloud  which  veils  it  ? 
Or  doth  the  river  stay  because  the  willow  dipeth  its 
leaves  into  its  waters  ?  Ah  !  no ;  God's  universe 
moves  on,  and  if  men  will  oppose  it,  it  heeds  them 


spurgeon's  gems.  141 

not.  It  is  as  God  liatli  made  it ;  it  is  working  toge- 
ther for  good,  and  it  shall  not  be  stayed  hy  the 
censure  nor  moved  on  by  the  praise  of  man.  Let 
your  bows,  my  brethren,  abide.  Do  not  be  in  a 
hurry  to  set  yourselves  right.  God  will  take  care  of 
you.  Leave  yourselves  alone  ;  only  be  very  valiant 
for  the  Lord  God  of  Israel ;  be  steadfast  in  the  truth 
of  Jesus  and  your  bow  shall  abide. 


CHRIST  made  the  covenant  to  pay  a  price,  and 
God  made  the  covenant  that  he  should  have  the 
people.  Christ  has  paid  the  price  and  ratified  the 
covenant ;  and  I  am  quite  sure  that  God  will  fulfill 
his  part  of  it,  by  giving  every  elect  vessel  of  mercy 
into  the  hands  of  Jesus.  But  all  the  power,  all  the 
grace,  all  the  blessings,  all  the  mercies,  all  the  com- 
forts, all  the  things  we  have,  we  have  through  the 
covenant.  If  there  were  no  covenant ;  if  we  could 
rend  the  everlasting  charter  up  ;  if  the  king  of  hell 
could  cut  it  with  his  knife,  as  the  king  of  Israel  did 
the  roll  of  Baruck,  then  we  should  fail  indeed  :  for 
we  have  no  strength,  except  that  which  is  promised 
in  the  covenant.  Covenant  mercies,  covenant  grace, 
covenant  promises,  covenant  blessings,  covenant  help, 
covenant  everything — the  Christian  must  receive,  if 
he  would  enter  into  heaven. 


142  spijegeon's  gems. 

YE  have  lost  your  friends  some  of  you,  ye  liave 
planted  flowers  upon  their  tombs,  ye  go  and  sit 
at  eventide  upon  the  greensward,  bedewing  the 
grass  with  your  tears,  for  there  your  mother  lies,  and 
there  your  father  or  your  wife.  Oh  !  in  pensive  sor- 
row come  with  me  to  this  dark  garden  of  our 
Saviour's  burial ;  come  to  the  grave  of  your  best 
friend — ^your  brother,  yea,  one  who  "  sticketh  closer 
than  a  brother."  Come  thou  to  the  grave  of  thy 
dearest  relative,  O  Christian,  for  Jesus  is  thy  hus- 
band, "  Thy  maker  is  thy  husband,  the  Lord  of  Hosts 
is  his  name."  Doth  not  affection  draw  you?  Do 
not  the  sweet  lips  of  love  woo  you  ?  Is  not  the  place 
sanctified  where  one  so  well-beloved  slept,  although 
but  for  a  moment  ?  Surely  ye  need  no  eloquence ; 
if  it  were  needed  I  have  none.  I  have  but  the  power, 
in  simple,  but  earnest  accents,  to  repeat  the  words, 
"  Come,  see  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay." 


ii  /^0!ME,  see  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay." 
V^  Surely  ye  need  no  argument  to  move  your  feet 
in  the  direction  of  the  holy  sepulchre ;  but  still  we 
will  use  the  utmost  power  to  draw  your  spirit  thither. 
Come,  then,  for  His  the  shrine  of  greatness^  'tis  the 
resting-place  of  the  man^  the  Restorer  of  our  race,  the 
Conqueror  of  death  and  hell.     Men  will  travel  hun- 


SPTJEGEON  S    GEMS.  143 

dreds  of  miles  to  behold  tlie  place  where  a  poet  first 
breathed  the  air  of  earth ;  they  will  journey  to  the  an- 
cient tombs  of  mighty  heroes,  or  the  graves  of  men 
renowned  by  fame  ;  but  whither  shall  the  Christian  go 
to  find  the  grave  of  one  so  famous  as  was  Jesus  ?  Ask 
me  the  greatest  man  who  ever  lived — I  tell  you  the 
man  Christ  Jesus  was  "  anointed  with  the  oil  of  glad- 
ness above  his  fellows."  If  ye  seek  a  chamber  hon- 
ored as  the  resting-place  of  Jesus,  turn  in  hither  ;  if  ye 
would  worship  at  the  grave  of  holiness,  come  ye 
here  ;  if  ye  would  see  the  hallowed  spot  where  the 
choicest  bones  that  e'er  were  fashioned  lay  for 
awhile,  come  with  me.  Christian,  to  that  quiet  gar- 
den, hard  by  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. 


WHEI^r  no  eye  seeth  you  except  the  eye  of  God, 
when  darkness  covers  you,  when  you  are  shut 
up  from  the  observation  of  mortals,  even  then  be  ye 
like  Jesus  Christ.  Kemember  his  ardent  piety,  his 
secret  devotion — ^hoAV,  after  laboriously  preaching 
the  whole  day,  he  stole  away  in  the  midnight  shades 
to  cry  for  help  from  his  God.  Recollect  how  his  en- 
tire life  was  constantly  sustained  by  fresh  inspirations 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  derived  by  prayer.  Take  care  of 
your  secret  life  :  let  it  be  such  that  you  will  not  be 
ashamed  to  read  at  the  last  great  day. 


144  spuegeon's  gems. 

VOLTAIKE  said  he  lived  in  the  twilight  of  Christ- 
ianity. He  meant  a  lie ;  he  spoke  the  truth. 
He  did  live  in  its  twilight ;  but  it  was  the  twilight 
before  the  morning — not  the  twilight  of  the  evening, 
as  he  meant  to  say;  for  the  morning  comes,  when 
the  light  of  the  sun  shall  break  njDon  us  in  its  truest 
glory.  The  scorners  have  said  that  we  should  soon 
forget  to  honor  Christ,  and  that  one  day  no  man 
should  acknowledge  him.  "  His  name  shall  endure 
forever,"  as  to  the  honor  of  it.  Yes,  I  will  tell  you 
how  long  it  will  endure.  As  long  as  on  this  earth 
there  is  a  sinner  who  has  been  reclaimed  by  omnipo- 
tent grace,  Christ's  name  shall  endure ;  as  long  as 
there  is  a  Mary  ready  to  wash  his  feet  with  tears  and 
wipe  them  with  the  hair  of  her  head ;  as  long  as 
there  breathes  a  chief  of  sinners  who  has  washed 
himself  in  the  fountain  opened  for  sin  and  for  un- 
cleanness ;  as  long  as  there  exists  a  Christian  who 
has  put  his  faith  in  Jesus,  and  found  him  his  delight, 
his  refuge,  his  stay,  his  shield,  his  song,  and  his  joy, 
there  will  be  no  fear  that  Jesus'  name  will  cease  to 
be  heard.  "We  can  never  give  up  that  name.  We 
let  the  Unitarian  take  the  gospel  without  a  godhead 
in  it ;  we  let  him  deny  Jesus  Christ ;  but  as  long  as 
Christians,  true  Christians,  live,  as  long  as  we  taste 
that  the  Lord  is  gracious,  have  manifestations  of  his 
love,  sights  of  his  face,  whispers  of  his  mercy,  assur- 


spurgeon's  gems.  145 

ances  of  his  affection,  promises  of  Lis  grace,  hopes  of 
his  blessing,  we  cannot  cease  to  honor  his  name.    But 
if  all  these  were  gone — if  we  were  to  cease  to  sing 
his  praise,  would  Jesus  Christ's  name  be  forgotten 
-then  ?     'Eo ;  the  stones  would  sing,  the  hills  would 
be  an  orchestra,  the  mountains  would  skip  like  rams, 
and  the  little  hills  like  lambs ;  for  is  he  not  their 
creator  ?     And  if  these  lips,  and  the  lips  of  all  mor- 
tals were  dumb  at  once,  there  are  creatures  enough 
in  this  wide  world  besides.     Whj,  the  sun  would 
lead  the  chorus;    the  moon  would  play  upon  her 
silver  harp,  and  sweetly  sing  to  her  music ;    stars 
would  dance  in  their  measured  courses  ;  the  shoreless 
depths  of  ether  would  become  the  home  of  songs ; 
and  the  void  immensity  would  burst  out  into  one 
great  shout,   "  Thou  art  the  glorious  Son  of  God ; 
great  is  thy  majesty,  and  infinite  thy  power."     Can 
Christ's  name  be  forgotten?     ^No ;  it  is  painted  on 
the  skies ;    it  is  written  on  the  floods ;    the  winds 
whisper  it ;  the  tempests  howl  it ;  the  seas  chant  it ; 
the  stars  shine  it ;  tlie  beasts  low  it ;  the  thunders 
proclaim  it ;  earth  shouts  it ;  heaven  echoes  it.     Eut 
if  that  were  gone — if  this  great  universe  should  all 
subside  in  God,  just  as  a  moment's  foam  subsides 
into  the  wave  that  bears  it  and  is  lost  forever — would 
his  name  be  forgotten  then  ?     I^o.     Turn  your  eyes 
up  yonder ;    see  heaven's  tet^ra  firma.     '•  "Who  are 

7 


146  spukgeon's  gems. 

these  that  are  arrayed  in  wliite,  and  whence  came 
they?"  "These  are  they  that  came  out  of  great  tri- 
bulation ;  they  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made 
them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ;  therefore 
they  are  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  praise  him 
day  and  night  in  his  temple."  And  if  these  were 
gone ;  if  the  last  harp  of  the  glorified  had  been 
touched  with  the  last  fingers  :  if  the  last  praise  of  the 
saints  had  ceased ;  if  the  last  hallelujah  had  echoed 
through  the  then  deserted  vaults  of  heaTen,  for  they 
would  be  gloomy  then  ;  if  the  last  immortal  had  been 
buried  in  his  grave,  if  graves  there  might  be  for  im- 
mortals— would  his  praise  cease  then  ?  l^o,  by  hea- 
ven !  no  ;  for  yonder  stand  the  angels  ;  they  too  sing 
his  glory ;  to  him  the  cherubim  and  seraphim  do  cry 
without  ceasing,  when  they  mention  his  name,  in 
that  thrice  holy  chorus,  "  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God 
of  armies."  But  if  these  were  perished — if  angels 
had  been  swept  away,  if  the  wing  of  seraph  never 
flapped  the  ether,  if  the  voice  of  the  cherub  never 
sung  his  flaming  sonnet,  if  the  living  creatures  ceased 
their  everlasting  chorus,  if  the  measured  symphonies 
of  glory  were  extinct  in  silence,  would  his  name  then 
be  lost?  Ah!  no;  for  as  God  upon  the  throne  he 
sits,  the  everlasting  One,  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost.  And  if  the  universe  were  all  annihilated, 
Btill  would  his  name  be  heard,  for  the  Father  would 


8PURGE0N  S   GEMS.  147 

hear  it,  and  the  Spirit  would  hear  it,  and,  deeply 
graven  on  immortal  marble  in  tbe  rocks  of  ages,  it 
would  stand — Jesus  the  Son  of  God,  co-equal  with 
his  Father.     "  His  name  shall  endure  forever." 


JESUS  rose,  and  as  the  Lord  our  Saviour  rose,  so  all 
his  followers  must  rise.  Die  I  must — this  body 
must  be  a  carnival  for  worms ;  it  must  be  eaten  by 
those  tiny  cannibals ;  perad venture  it  shall  be  scat- 
tered from  one  portion  of  the  earth  to  another ;  the 
constituent  particles  of  this  my  frame  will  enter  into 
plants,  from  plants  pass  into  animals,  and  thus  be  car- 
ried into  far  distant  realms  ;  but,  at  the  blast  of  the 
archangel's  trumpet,  every  separate  atom  of  my  body 
shall  find  its  fellow  ;  like  the  bones  lying  in  the  val- 
ley of  vision,  though  separated  from  one  another,  the 
moment  God  shall  speak,  the  bone  will  creep  to  its 
bone ;  then  the  flesh  shall  come  upon  it ;  the  four 
winds  of  heaven  shall  blow,  and  the  breath  shall  re- 
turn. So  let  me  die,  let  beasts  devour  me,  let  fire 
turn  this  body  into  gas  and  vapor,  all  its  particles 
shall  yet  again  be  restored  ;  this  very  selfsame  actual 
body  shall  start  up  from  its  grave,  glorified  and  made 
like  Christ's  body,  yet  still  the  same  body,  for  God 
hath  said  it.  Christ's  same  body  rose  ;  so  shall  mine. 
O  my  soul,  dost  thou  now  dread  to  die  ?    Tliou  wilt 


14:8  spukgeon's  gems. 

lose  tliy  partner  bodj  a  little  while,  but  tliou  wilt  be 
married  again  in  lieaven  ;  soul  and  body  sball  again 
be  united  before  tlie  tbrone  of  God.  Tlie  grave — 
wliat  is  it  ?  It  is  the  bath  in  which  the  Christian 
puts  the  clothes  of  his  body  to  have  them  washed  and 
cleansed.  Death — what  is  it  ?  It  is  the  waiting-room 
where  we  robe  ourselves  for  immortality ;  it  is  the 
place  w^here  the  body,  like  Esther,  bathes  itself  in 
spices  that  it  may  be  fit  for  the  embrace  of  its 
Lord. 


•  •♦ 


REGEN^ERATIO]^  and  resurrection  are  sometimes 
used  as  it  were  in  common,  in  the  l^ew  Testa- 
ment, although  the  distinction  we  usually  make  is, 
that  regeneration  applies  to  the  soul,  and  resurrection 
to  the  body.  JSTow  when  a  man  is  born  of  the  Spirit, 
it  is  not  by  a  gradual  refining  of  his  corrupt  inclina- 
tions, but  by  a  powerful  quickening  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Just  so  when  the  dead  are  raised :  it  shall 
not  be  by  a  j)rocess  of  nature,  but  by  an  instanta- 
neous putting  forth  of  the  mighty  power  of  God. 
Still,  I  tell  you  that  there  shall  be  a  similarity  in  the 
result.  The  body  that  lies  shrouded  in  its  narrow 
bed  shall  awake  at  the  call  of  Jesus  unspeakably  re- 
freshed. It  was  exhausted ;  and  as  nature  could  no 
longer  sustain  the  vital  functions,  it  fell  an  easy  prey 
to  corruption  ;  yet  it  shall  arise  without  weariness,  or 


spukgeon's  gems.  149 

pain,  or  sickness,  or  deformity.  Tlie  former  things 
that  occasioned  death  shall  have  j^assed  away.  In- 
stead of  the  pale  corpse  shall  be  the  raised  body,  with 
the  bloom  of  immortality  on  the  cheek,  and  the 
divine  glow  of  deathless  vigor  in  the  heart,  fitted  to 
greet  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  as  he  ushers  in  a 
cloudless,  bright,  eternal  day. 


SEEST  thou  yonder  thief  hanging  upon  the  cross  ? 
Behold  the  fiends  at  the  foot  thereof,  with  open 
mouths ;  charming  themselves  with  the  sweet 
thought,  that  another  soul  shall  give  them  meat 
in  hell.  Behold  the  death-bird  fluttering  his  wings 
o'er  the  poor  wretch's  head ;  vengeance  passes  by 
and  stamps  him  for  her  own ;  deep  on  his  breast  is 
written  "a  condemned  sinner;"  on  his  brow  is  the 
clammy  sweat,  expressed  from  him  by  agony  and 
death.  Look  in  his  heart ;  it  is  filthy  with  the  crust 
of  years  of  sin ;  the  smoke  of  lust  is  hanging  within 
in  black  festoons  of  darkness ;  his  whole  heart  is  hell 
condensed.  ]^ow,  look  at  him.  He  is  dying.  One 
foot  seems  to  be  in  hell ;  the  other  hangs  tottering  in 
life — only  kept  by  a  nail.  Tliere  is  a  power  in 
Jesus'  eye.  That  thief  looks  :  he  whispers,  "  Lord, 
remember  me."  Turn  your  eye  again  there.  Do 
you  see  that  thief  ?    Where  is  the  clammy  sweat  ? 


160  spukgeon's  gems. 

It  is  there.  "Where  is  that  horrid  anguish  ?  It  is 
not  there.  Positively  there  is  a  smile  upon  his  lips. 
The  fiends  of  hell,  where  are  they  ?  There  are  none ; 
but  a  bright  seraph  is  present,  with  his  wings  out- 
spread, and  his  hands  ready  to  snatch  that  soul,  now 
a  precious  jewel,  and  bear  it  aloft  to  the  palace  of 
the  great  King.  Look  within  his  heart ;  it  is  white 
with  purity.  Look  at  his  breast ;  it  is  not  written 
"condemned,"  but  "justified."  Look  in  the  book 
of  life :  his  name  is  graven  there.  Look  on  Jesus' 
heart :  there  on  one  of  the  precious  stones  he  bears 
that  poor  thief's  name.  Yea,  once  more,  look  !  seest 
thou  that  bright  one  among  the  glorified,  clearer 
than  the  sun,  and  fair  as  the  moon  ?  That  is  the 
thief!  That  is  the  power  of  Jesus ;  and  that  power 
shall  endure  forever. 


•  ••■ 


THERE  on  that  deathbed  lies  a  saint ;  no  gloom 
is  on  his  brow,  no  terror  on  his  face ;  weakly 
but  placidly  he  smiles ;  he  groans,  perhaps,  but  yet 
he  sings.  He  sighs  now  and  then,  but  oftener  he 
shouts.  Stand  b}^  him.  "  My  brother,  what  makes 
thee  look  in  death's  face  with  such  joy?"  "Jesus," 
he  whispers.  What  makes  thee  so  placid  and  calm  ? 
"  The  name  of  Jesus."  See,  he  forgets  everything  ! 
Ask  him  a  question ;  he  cannot  answer  it — ^he  does 


spuegeon's  gems.  151 

not  understand  yon.  Still  lie  smiles.  His  wife 
comes,  inquiring,  "  Do  jou  know  my  name  ?"  He 
answers,  "]^o."  His  dearest  friend  requests  liim 
to  remember  his  intimacy.  "  I  know  you  not,"  lie 
says.  Whisper  in  his  ear,  "  Do  you  know  the  name 
of  Jesus?"  and  his  eyes  flash  glory,  and  his  face 
beams  heaven,  and  his  lips  speak  sonnets,  and  his 
heart  bursts  with  eternity  ;  for  he  hears  the  name  of 
Jesus,  and  that  name  shall  endure  forever.  He  who 
landed  one  in  heaven  will  land  me  there.  Come  on, 
death.  I  will  mention  Christ's  name  there.  O 
grave !  this  shall  be  my  glory,  the  name  of  Jesus  ! 
Hell-dog !  this  shall  be  thy  death — ^for  the  sting  of 
death  is  extracted — Christ  our  Lord.  "His  name 
shall  endure  forever." 


OH !  there  is  nothing  that  can  so  advantage 
you,  nothing  can  so  prosper  you,  so  assist  you, 
so  make  you  walk  towards  heaven  rapidly,  so 
keep  your  head  upwards  towards  the  sky,  and  your 
eyes  radiant  with  glory,  like  the  imitation  of  Jesus 
Christ.  It  is  when,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
you  are  enabled  to  walk  with  Jesus  in  his  very  foot- 
steps, and  tread  in  his  ways,  you  are  most  happy  and 
you  are  most  known  to  be  the  sons  of  God.  For 
your  sake,  my  brethren,  I  say,  be  like  Christ. 


152  spurgeon's  gems. 

THE  death  of  the  saints  is  precious  in  the  sight  of 
the  Lord.  On  their  account  we  have  cause 
rather  to  rejoice  than  to  weep.  And  why?  Because 
we  have  a  hope — we  hope  that  they  are  safely  housed 
in  heaven.  Yes,  we  have  the  fond  and  firm  persua- 
sion that  already  their  redeemed  spirits  have  flown 
up  to  the  eternal  throne.  We  do  believe  that  they 
are  at  this  moment  joining  in  the  hallelujahs  of  para- 
dise, feasting  on  the  fruits  of  the  tree  of  life,  and 
walking  by  the  side  of  the  "  river,  the  streams  whereof 
make  glad  the  heavenly  city  of  our  God."  We  know 
they  are  supremely  blest ;  we  think  of  them  as  glori- 
fied spirits  above,  who  are  present  with  the  Lord 
Jesus. 


OCIIEISTIA:^^  !  because  Christ  sticks  close,  the 
devil  will  stick  close  too  ;  he  will  be  at  you  and 
with  you  ;  the  dog  of  hell  will  never  cease  his  bowl- 
ings, till  you  reach  the  other  side  of  Jordan ;  no 
place  in  this  world  is  out  of  bowshot  of  that  great 
enemy ;  till  you  have  crossed  the  stream,  his  arrows 
can  reach  you,  and  they  will.  If  Christ  gave  himself 
for  you,  the  devil  will  do  all  he  can  to  destroy  you ; 
if  Christ  has  been  long-suffering  to  you,  Satan  will 
be  persevering,  in  hopes  that  Christ  may  forget  you ; 
he  will  strive  after  you,  and  strive  until  he  shall  see 
you  safely  landed  in  heaven. 


bpuegeon's  gems.  153 

POOR  sinner,  do  take  heart.  Tlie  slieplierds  have 
Leen  after  thee  many  a  day,  but  they  could  not 
find  thee ;  remember  God  knows,  as  we  know  not, 
where  thou  art.  If  thou  art  in  the  deepest  pit  in  the 
forest,  his  almighty  eye  can  see  to  the  bottom.  Aye, 
and  in  one  of  the  favored  moments  of  the  day  of  sal- 
vation— that  time  accepted — ^he  will  send  home  a 
promise  so  sweetly  that  all  thy  fetters  shall  break  off 
in  an  instant — thy  night  shall  be  scattered — thy  dawn 
begin  ;  and  he  will  give  thee  the  oil  of  joy  for  mourn- 
ing and  the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of  heavi- 
ness. Believe  now,  and  thou  shalt  be  comforted  now ; 
for  the  time  of  faith  is  the  time  of  comfort. 


THOUGH  all  weapons  are  alike  approved  by  the 
warrior  in  his  thirst  for  blood,  there  seems  some- 
thing more  cowardly  in  the  attack  of  the  archer  than 
in  that  of  the  swordsman.  The  swordsman  plants 
himself  near  you,  foot  to  foot,  and  lets  you  defend 
yourself,  and  deal  your  blows  against  him ;  but  the 
archer  stands  at  a  distance,  hides  himself  in  ambus- 
cade, and,  without  your  knowing  it,  the  arrow  comes 
whizzing  through  the  air,  and  perhaps  penetrates 
your  heart.  Just  so  are  the  enemies  of  God's 
people.  Tliey  very  seldom  come  foot  to  foot  with 
us ;  they  will  not  show  their  faces  before  us ;  they 


154  spijrgeon's  gems. 

hate  the  light,  they  love  darkness ;  they  dare  not 
come  and  openly  accuse  us  to  our  face,  for  then  we 
could  reply ;  but  they  shoot  the  bow  from  a  dis- 
tance, so  that  we  cannot  answer  them ;  cowardly 
and  dastardly  as  they  are,  they  forge  their  arrow- 
heads, and  aim  them,  winged  with  hell-birds' 
feathers,  at  the  hearts  of  God's  people. 


THIS  is  no  common  grave  ;  it  is  not  an  excavation 
dug  out  by  the  spade  for  a  pauper,  in  which  to 
hide  the  last  remains  of  his  miserable  and  over- 
wearied bones.  It  is  a  princely  tomb  ;  it  was  made 
of  marble,  cut  in  the  side  of  a  hill.  Stand  here,  be- 
liever, and  ask  why  Jesus  had  such  a  costly  sepul- 
chre. He  had  no  elegant  garments  ;  he  wore  a  coat 
without  seam,  woven  from  the  top  throughout,  with- 
out an  atom  of  embroidery.  He  owned  no  sump- 
tuous palace,  for  he  had  not  where  to  lay  his  head. 
His  sandals  were  not  rich  with  gold,  or  studded  with 
brilliants.  He  was  poor.  Why,  then,  does  he  lie  in 
a  noble  grave  ?  "We  answer,  for  this  reason :  Christ 
was  unhonored  till  he  had  finished  his  sufferings ; 
Christ's  body  suffered  contumely,  shame,  S23itting, 
buffeting,  and  reproach,  until  he  had  completed  his 
great  work ;  he  was  trampled  under  foot,  he  was 
"despised  and  rejected  of  men;  a  man  of  sorrows^ 


SPUEGEOX'S    GEMS.  155 

and  acquainted  with  grief;"  but  tlie  moment  lie  liad 
finished  his  undertaking,  God  said,  "  I^o  more  shall 
that  body  be  disgraced  ;  if  it  is  to  sleep,  let  it  slum- 
ber in  an  honorable  grave ;  if  it  is  rest,  let  nobles 
bury  it ;  let  Joseph,  the  councillor,  and  Mcodemus, 
the  man  of  Sanhedrim,  be  present  at  the  funeral ;  let 
the  body  be  embalmed  with  precious  spices,  let  it 
have  honor;  it  has  had  enough  of  contumely,  and 
shame,  and  reproach,  and  buffeting ;  let  it  now  be 
treated  with  respect."  Christian,  dost  thou  discern 
the  meaning  ?  Jesus,  after  he  had  finished  his  work, 
slept  in  a  costly  grave  ;  for  now  his  Father  loved  and 
honored  him,  since  his  w^ork  was  done. 


IF  you  want  truth  to  go  round  the  world  you  must 
hire  an  express  train  to  pull  it ;  but  if  you  want 
a  lie  to  go  round  the  world,  it  will  fly  :  it  is  as  light 
as  a  feather,  and  a  breath  will  carry  it.  It  is  well 
said  in  the  old  Proverb,  "  A  lie  will  go  round  the 
world  while  truth  is  pulling  its  boots  on."  'Never- 
theless, it  does  not  injure  us ;  for  if  light  as  a  feather, 
it  travels  as  fast,  its  effect  is  just  about  as  tremen- 
dous as  the  effect  of  down,  when  it  is  blown  against 
the  walls  of  a  castle ;  it  produces  no  damage  what- 
ever, on  account  of  its  lightness  and  littleness.  Fear 
not,  Christian.      Let  slander  fly,  let  envy  send  forth 


156  spuegeon's  gems. 

its  forked  tongue,  let  it  liiss  at  you,  your  bow  shall 
abide  in  strengtli.  Oli !  sliielded  warrior,  remain 
quiet,  fear  no  ill ;  bnt,  like  the  eagle  in  its  lofty 
eyrie,  look  tlion  down  npon  the  fowlers  in  the  plain, 
turn  thy  bold  eye  upon  them  and  say,  "  Shoot  ye 
may,  but  your  shots  will  not  reach  half  way  to  the 
pinnacle  where  I  stand.  Waste  your  powder  npon 
me  if  ye  will ;  I  am  beyond  your  reach."  Then  clap 
your  wings,  mount  to  heaven,  and  there  laugh  them 
to  scorn,  for  ye  have  made  your  refuge  God,  and 
shall  find  a  most  secure  abode. 


IF  any  of  you  desire  to  be  saved  by  works,  remem- 
ber one  sin  will  spoil  your  righteousness;  one 
dust  of  this  earth's  dross  will  spoil  the  beauty  of  that 
perfect  righteousness  which  God  requires  at  your 
hands.  If  ye  would  be  saved  by  works,  ye  must  be 
as  holy  as  the  angels,  ye  must  be  as  pure  and  as  im- 
maculate as  Jesus ;  for  the  law  requires  perfection, 
and  nothing  short  of  it ;  and  God,  with  unflinching 
vengeance,  will  smite  every  man  low  who  cannot 
bring  him  a  perfect  obedience.  If  I  cannot,  when  I 
come  before  his  throne,  plead  a  perfect  righteousness 
as  being  mine,  God  will  say,  "  you  have  not  fulfilled 
the  demands  of  my  law ;  depart,  accursed  one  !  You 
have  sinned,  and  you  must  die." 


sptjegeon's  gems.  157 

HERE  are  the  Roman  Catholics.  They  are  the 
successors  of  the  apostles !  But,  I  think,  if 
Peter  and  Paul  were  to  come  and  see  their  suc- 
cessors, they  would  think  there  was  a  mighty  differ- 
ence between  themselves  and  them.  By  way  of 
parable,  suppose  the  Yirgin  Mary,  Peter,  and  Paul, 
should  come  one  Sunday,  and  go  to  a  cathedral. 
Well,  when  they  entered,  the  Yirgin  heard  them 
singing  something  to  her  honoi',  and  praise,  and 
glory ;  she  jogged  Peter,  and  said — "  What  are  these 
people  after  ?  They  are  worshipping  me.  My  son 
said  to  me,  '  Woman,  what  have  I  to  do  with  thee  V 
He  never  worshipped  me,"  she  said ;  "  let  us  turn 
out  of  this."  They  stopped  a  little  longer,  and  they 
heard  one  of  them  say  that  the  Apostle  Peter  was 
the  head  of  the  church  ;  and  his  successor,  the  Pope, 
was  therefore  the  head.  Peter  jogged  the  Yirgin 
Mary,  and  said — "  What  a  lie  that  is ;  I  was  never 
head  of  the  church  at  all.  Did  I  not  fall  into  sin  ? 
I  the  head  of  the  church !  A  pretty  head  I  was." 
Soon  afterwards,  Paul  heard  them  preaching  justifi- 
cation by  works.  "  Come  out,"  said  he  ;  "  there  is 
no  gospel  here.  I  preached  justification  by  faith 
without  works,  and  they  are  preaching  justification 
by  works."  And  so,  upon  that,  all  three  of  them 
went  out.  By  and  by,  they  came  to  a  place  where 
they  heard  them  singing — "  Glory,  honor,  praise  and 


158  sphrgeon's  gems. 

power,  be  unto  the  Lamb  that  sittetb  on  the  throne ;" 
and  then  they  heard  them  speak  of  those  who  were 
"kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith  nnto 
salvation."  "  Ah,"  said  Peter,  "  this  is  the  place  ; 
and  here  I  will  stay."  Those  are  the  successors  of 
the  apostles  who  are  like  the  apostles. 


C HEIST  had  no  transgressions  of  his  own ;  he  took 
ours  upon  his  head ;  he  never  committed  a  wrong, 
but  he  took  all  my  sin,  and  all  yours,  if  ye  are  be- 
lievers ;  concerning  all  his  people,  it  is  true,  he  bore 
their  griefs  and  carried  their  sorrows  in  his  own 
body  on  the  tree ;  therefore,  as  they  were  others' 
Bins,  so  he  rested  in  another's  grave ;  as  they  were 
sins  imputed,  so  that  grave  was  only  imputedly  his. 
It  was  not  his  sepulchre ;  it  was  the  tomb  of  Joseph. 


IT  is  childish  to  doubt;  it  is  manhood's  glory  to 
trust.  Plant  your  foot  upon  the  immovable 
Eock  of  Ages;  lift  your  eye  to  heaven;  scorn  the 
world ;  never  play  craven ;  bend  your  fist  in  the 
world's  face,  and  bid  defiance  to  it  and  hell,  and  you 
are  a  man,  and  noble.  But  crouch,  and  cringe,  and 
dread,  and  doubt,  and  you  have  lost  your  Christian 
dignity,  and  are  no  longer  what  you  should  be. 


spurgeon's  gems.  159 

LET  me  imagine  a  man  entering  lieaven  without  a 
change  of  heart.  He  comes  within  the  gates. 
He  hears  a  sonnet.  He  starts !  It  is  to  the  praise 
of  his  enemy.  He  sees  a  throne,  and  on  it  sits  one 
who  is  glorious ;  but  it  is  his  enemy.  He  walks 
streets  of  gold,  but  those  streets  belong  to  his  enemy. 
He  sees  hosts  of  angels,  but  those  hosts  are  the 
servants  of  his  enemy.  He  is  in  an  enemy'' s  house ; 
for  he  is  at  enmity  with  God.  He  could  not  join 
the  song,  for  he  would  not  know  the  tune.  There 
he  would  stand,  silent,  motionless,  till  Christ  would 
say,  with  a  voice  louder  than  ten  thousand  thunders, 
"  What  dost  thou  here  ?  Enemies  at  a  marriage  ban- 
quet? Enemies  in  the  children's  house.?  Enemies 
in  heaven?  Get  thee  gone?  'Depart,  ye  cursed, 
into  everlasting  fire  in  hell !'  " 


THERE  have  been  some  who  have  been  noble 
men,  but  have  carried  their  courage  to  excess ; 
they  have  thus  been  caricatures  of  Christ,  and  not 
portraits  of  him.  "We  must  amalgamate  with  our 
boldness  the  loveliness  of  Jesus'  disposition.  Let 
courage  be  the  brass,  let  love  be  the  gold.  Let  us 
mix  the  two  together,  so  shall  we  produce  a  rich 
Corinthian  metal,  fit  to  be  manufactured  into  the 
beautiful  gate  of  the  temple. 


160  spuegeon's  gems. 

OUE,  lost  friends  are  lost  forever;  we  recollect 
that  there  is  no  shadow  of  a  hope  for  them ; 
when  the  iron  gate  of  hell  is  once  closed  upon  them, 
it  shall  never  be  unbarred  again,  to  give  them  free 
exit ;  As^hen  once  shut  up  within  those  walls  of  swel- 
tering flame  which  girdle  the  fierj  gulf,  there  is  no 
possibility  of  flight ;  we  recollect  that  they  have  "  for- 
ever "  stamped  upon  their  chains,  "  forever  "  carved 
in  deep  lines  of  despair  upon  their  hearts.  It  is  the 
hell  of  hell,  that  everything  there  lasts  forever. 
Here,  time  wears  away  our  griefs,  and  blunts  the 
keen  edge  of  our  sorrow ;  but  there  time  never  miti- 
gates the  woe ;  hell  grows  more  hellish,  as  eternity 
marches  on  with  its  mighty  paces.  The  abyss  be- 
comes more  dense  and  fiery — the  sufl"erers  grow 
more  ghastly  and  wretched,  as  years,  if  there  be 
such  sad  variety  in  that  fixed  state,  roll  their  ever- 
lasting rounds.  Here  the  sympathy  of  loving 
kindred,  in  the  midst  of  sickness  or  suffering,  can 
alleviate  our  pain  ;  but  there,  the  tortured  ghosts  are 
sport  for  fiends,  and  the  mutual  upbraidings  and 
reproaches  of  fellow-sinners  give  fresh  stings  to  tor- 
ment too  dread  to  be  endured.  Here,  too,  when 
nature's  last  palliative  shall  fail,  to  die  may  be  a 
happy  release  ;  a  man  can  count  the  weary  hours 
till  death  shall  give  him  rest :  but,  oh  !  remember, 
there  is  no  death  in  hell ;  death,  which  is  a  monster 


spuegeon's  gems.  161 

on  earth,  would  be  an  angel  in  hell.  If  death  could 
go  there,  all  the  damned  would  fall  down  and  wor- 
ship him ;  every  tongue  would  sing,  and  every  heart 
would  praise ;  each  cavern  then  would  echo  with  a 
shout  of  triumph  till  all  was  still,  and  silence  brood 
where  terrors  reigned.  But  no,  the  terrible  reality 
is  this — •'  Their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not 
quenched." 


THE  artist,  when  he  paints,  knows  right  well  that 
he  shall  not  be  able  to  excel  Apelles ;  but  that 
does  not  discourage  him  ;  he  uses  his  brush  with  all 
the  greater  pains,  that  he  may  at  least  in  some 
humble  measure  resemble  the  great  master.  So 
the  sculptor,  though  persuaded  that  he  will  not  rival 
Praxiteles,  will  hew  out  the  marble  still,  and  seek  to 
be  as  near  the  model  as  possible.  Thus  so  the  Christ- 
ian man;  though  he  feels  he  never  can  mount  to 
the  heights  of  complete  excellence  and  perceives 
that  he  never  can  on  earth  become  the  exact 
image  of  Christ,  still  holds  it  up  before  him,  and 
measures  his  own  deficiencies  by  the  distance  be- 
tween himself  and  Jesus.  This  will  he  do ;  forgetting 
all  he  has  attained,  he  will  press  forward,  crying, 
JExcelsior !  going  upwards  still,  desiring  to  be  con- 
formed more  and  more  to  the  image  of  Christ  Jesus. 


162  spukgeon's  gems. 

MAN  cannot  please  God  without  bringing  to  him- 
self a  great  amount  of  happiness ;  for,  if  any 
man  pleases  God,  it  is  because  God  accepts  him  as  his 
son,  gives  him  the  blessings  of  adoption,  pours  upon 
him  the  bounties  of  his  grace,  makes  him  a  blessed 
man  in  this  life,  and  insures  him  a  crown  of  everlast- 
ing life,  which  he  shall  wear,  and  which  shall  shine 
with  unfading  lustre,  when  the  wreaths  of  earth's 
glory  have  all  been  melted  away ;  while,  on  the 
other  hands,  if  a  man  does  not  please  God,  he  inevita- 
bly brings  upon  himself  sorrow  and  suffering  in  this 
life  ;  he  puts  a  worm  and  a  rottenness  in  the  core  of 
all  his  joys ;  he  fills  his  death-pillow  with  thorns,  and 
he  sujDplies  the  eternal  fire  with  fagots  of  fiame  which 
shall  forever  consume  him. 


♦  •  • 


THE  holiest  men,  the  most  free  from  irajpy/rity^ 
have  always  felt  it  •  most.  He  whose  garments 
are  the  whitest,  will  best  perceive  the  sj^ots  upon 
them.  He  whose  crown  shineth  the  brightest,  will 
know  when  he  hath  lost  a  jewel.  He  who  giveth  the 
most  light  to  the  world,  will  always  be  able  to  dis- 
cover his  own  darkness.  Tlie  angels  of  heaven  veil 
their  faces  ;  and  the  angels  of  God  on  earth,  his  cho- 
sen people,  must  always  veil  their  faces  with  humi- 
lity, when  they  think  of  what  they  were. 


spuegeon's  gems.  163 

TAKE  the  cold  iron,  and  attemjDt  to  weld  it  if  jou 
can  into  a  certain  sliape.  How  fruitless  tlie 
effort !  Lay  it  on  the  anvil,  seize  the  blacksmith's 
hammer  with  all  your  might,  let  blow  after  blow  fall 
upon  it,  and  jou  shall  have  done  nothing.  Twist  it, 
turn  it,  use  all  your  implements,  but  you  shall  not  be 
able  to  fashion  it  as  you  would.  But  put  it  in  the 
fire,  let  it  be  softened  and  made  malleable,  then  lay 
it  on  the  anvil,  and  each  stroke  shall  have  a  mighty 
effect,  so  that  you  may  fashion  it  into  any  form  you 
may  desire.  So  take  your  heart,  not  cold  as  it  is,  not 
Btony  as  it  is  by  nature,  but  put  it  into  the  furnace  ; 
there  let  it  be  molten,  and  after  that  it  can  be  turned 
like  wax  to  the  seal,  and  fashioned  into  the  image  of 

Jesus  Christ. 

— > » • 

MIGHTIER  than  giants  are  men  of  the  race  of 
heaven ;  should  they  once  arouse  themselves  to 
battle  they  could  laugh  at  the  spear  and  the  haber- 
geon. But  they  are  a  patient  generation,  enduring 
ills  without  resenting  them,  suffering  scorn  without 
reviling  the  scoffer.  Their  triumph  is  to  come  when 
their  enemies  shall  receive  the  vengeance  due ;  then 
shall  it  be  seen  by  an  assembled  world  that  the 
"  little  flock "  were  men  of  high  estate,  and  the 
"  offscouring  of  all  things  "  were  verily  men  of  real 
strength  and  dignity. 


164:  spurgeon's  gems. 

THE  Word  is  able  to  convert  just  as  extensively  as 
God  tlie  Spirit  pleases  to  apply  it ;  and  I  can  see 
no  reason  why,  if  converts  come  in  by  ones  and  twos 
now,  there  should  not  be  a  time  when  hundreds  and 
thousands  shall  come  to  God.  The  same  sermon 
which  God  blesses  to  ten,  if  he  pleased,  he  could 
bless  to  an  hundred.  I  know  not  but  that  in  the 
latter  days,  when  Christ  shall  come,  and  shall  begin 
to  take  the  kingdom  to  himself,  every  minister  of 
God  shall  be  as  successful  as  Peter  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost.  I  am  sure  the  Holy  Spirit  is  able  to 
make  the  "Word  successful ;  and  the  reason  why  we 
do  not  prosper,  is,  that  we  have  not  the  Holy  Spirit 
attending  us  with  might  and  energy,  as  they  had 

then. 

•  •  • 

IF  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  ye  become  followers 
of  Jesus,  ye  shall  enter  glory.  For  at  heaven's 
gate  there  sits  an  angel,  who  admits  no  one  who  has 
not  the  same  features  as  our  adorable  Lord.  Tliere 
comes  a  man  with  a  crown  upon  his  head.  "  Yes," 
he  says,  "  thou  hast  a  crown,  it  is  true,  but  crowns 
are  not  the  medium  of  access  here."  Another  ap- 
proaches, dressed  in  robes  of  state  and  the  gown 
of  learning.  "  Yes,"  says  the  angel,  "  it  may  be 
good,  but  gowns  and  learning  are  not  the  marks 
that  shall  admit  you  here."     Another  advances,  fair, 


spuegeon's  gems.  165 

beautiful,  and  comely.  "Yes,"  saith  the  angel, 
"  that  might  please  on  earth,  but  beauty  is  not 
wanted  here."  There  cometh  another,  who  is 
heralded  by  fame,  and  prefaced  by  the  blast  of  the 
clamor  of  mankind  ;  but  the  angel  saith,  "  It  is  well 
with  man,  but  thou  hast  no  right  to  enter  here." 
Then  there  appears  another;  poor  he  may  have 
been  ;  illiterate  he  may  have  been  ;  but  the  angel, 
as  he  looks  at  him,  smiles  and  says,  "It  is  Christ 
again;  a  second  edition  of  Jesus  Christ  is  there. 
Come  in,  come  in.  Eternal  glory  thou  shalt  win. 
Thou  art  like  Christ ;  in  heaven  thou  shalt  sit,  be- 
cause thou  art  like  him."  Oh,  to  be  like  Christ  is  to 
enter  heaven ;  but  to  be  unlike  Christ  is  to  descend 

to  hell. 

— •-•-« — 

IF  there  is  one  virtue  which  most  commends  Christ- 
ians, it  is  that  of  kindness  :  it  is  to  love  the  people 
of  God,  to  love  the  Church,  to  love  the  world,  to  love 
all.  But  how  many  have  we  in  our  churches  of 
crab-tree  Christians,  who  have  mixed  such  a  vast 
amount  of  vinegar  and  such  a  tremendous  quantity 
of  gall  in  their  constitutions,  that  they  can  scarcely 
speak  one  good  word  to  you.  They  imagine  it  im- 
possible to  defend  religion  except  by  passionate 
ebuUitions ;  they  cannot  speak  for  their  dishonored 
Master  without  being   angry  with  their   opponent; 


166  spukgeon's  gems. 

and  if  anything  is  awiy,  whether  it  be  in  the  house, 
the  chnrch,  or  anywhere  else,  they  conceive  it  to  be 
their  duty  to  set  their  faces  like  flint,  and  to  defy 
everybody.  They  are  like  isolated  icebergs,  no  one 
cares  to  go  near  them.  They  float  about  on  the  sea 
of  forgetfulness,  until  at  last  they  are  melted  and 
gone;  and  though,  good  souls,  we  shall  be  happy 
enough  to  meet  them  in  heaven,  we  are  precious 
glad  to  get  rid  of  them  from  the  earth.  Tliey  were 
always  so  unamiable  in  disposition,  that  we  would 
rather  live  an  eternity  with  them  in  heaven  than  &yg 
minutes  on  earth.  Be  ye  not  thus.  Imitate  Christ 
in  your  loving  spirits ;  speak  kindly,  act  kindly,  and 
do  kindly,  that  men  may  say  of  you,  "  He  has  been 
with  Jesus." 


THOSE  who  have  not  to  work  hard,  think  they 
will  love  heaven  as  a  place  of  service.  That  is 
very  true.  But  to  the  working  man,  to  the  man  who 
toils  with  his  brain  or  with  his  hands,  it  must  ever 
be  a  sweet  thought  that  there  is  a  land  where  we 
shall  rest.  Soon,  this  voice  will  never  be  strained 
again ;  soon,  these  lungs  will  never  have  to  exert 
themselves  beyond  their  power ;  soon,  this  brain  shall 
not  be  racked  for  thought ;  but  I  shall  sit  at  the 
banquet-table  of  God ;  yea,  I  shall  recline  on  the 
bosom  of  Abraham,  and  be  at  ease  forever.     Oh ! 


spuegeon's  gems.  167 

Tveaiy  sons  and  daughters  of  Adam,  you  will  not 
have  to  drive  the  ploughshare  into  the  unthankful 
soil  in  heaven,  you  will  not  need  to  rise  to  daily  toils 
before  the  sun  hath  risen,  and  labor  still  when  the 
sun  hath  long  ago  gone  to  his  rest ;  but  ye  shall  be 
still,  ye  shall  be  quiet,  ye  shall  rest  yourselves,  for  all 
are  rich  in  heaven,  all  are  happy  there,  all  are  peace- 
ful. Toil,  trouble,  travail,  and  labor,  are  words  that 
cannot  be  spelled  in  heaven;  they  have  no  such 
things  there,  for  they  always  rest. 


OH !  if  you  could  have  seen  Paul  preach,  you 
would  not  have  gone  away  as  you  do  from  some 
of  us,  with  half  a  conviction  that  we  do  not  mean 
what  w^e  say.  His  eyes  preached  a  sermon  without 
his  lips,  and  his  lips  preached  it,  not  in  a  cold  and 
frigid  manner,  but  every  word  fell  with  an  over- 
whelming power  upon  the  hearts  of  his  hearers.  He 
preached  with  power,  because  he  was  in  downright 
earnest.  You  had  a  conviction,  when  you  saw  him, 
that  he  was  a  man  who  felt  he  liad  a  work  to  do,  and 
must  do^it,  and  could  not  contain  himself  unless  he 
fljrl  r1r>  it.  Hft  was  the  kind  of  preacher  whom  you 
would  expect  to  see  w^alk  down  the  pulpit-stairs 
straight  into  his  coffin,  and  then  stand  before  his 
God,  ready  for  his  last  account. 


168  spukgeon's  gems. 

C HEIST'S  sepulchre  was  cut  in  a  rock.  It  was 
not  cut  in  mold  that  might  be  worn  away  by  the 
water,  or  might  crumble  and  fall  into  decay.  The  se- 
pulchre stands,  I  believe,  entire  to  this  day  ;  if  it  does 
not  naturally,  it  does  spiritually.  The  same  sepul- 
chre which  took  the  sins  of  Paul  shall  take  my 
iniquities  into  his  bosom ;  for  if  I  ever  lose  my  guilt, 
it  must  roll  off  my  shoulders  into  the  sepulchre.  It 
was  cut  in  a  rock,  so  that  if  a  sinner  were  saved  a 
thousand  years  ago,  I  too  can  be  delivered,  for  it  is  a 
rocky  sepulchre  where  sin  was  buried — it  was  a 
rocky  sepulchre  of  marble  where  my  crimes  were 
laid  forever — ^buried  never  to  have  a  resurrection. 


IT  will  not  save  me  to  know  that  Christ  is  a 
Saviour ;  but  it  will  save  me  to  trust  him  to  be 
my  Saviour.  I  shall  not  be  delivered  from  the 
wrath  to  come,  by  believing  that  his  atonement  is 
sufficient ;  but  I  shall  be  saved,  by  making  that  atone- 
ment my  trust,  my  refuge,  and  my  all.  The  pith,  the 
essence,  of  faith  lies  in  this — a  casting  oneself  on  the 
promise.  It  is  not  the  life-buoy  on  board  the  ship 
that  saves  the  man  when  he  is  drowning,  nor  is  it  his 
belief  that  it  is  an  excellent  and  successful  invention. 
ISTo !  he  must  have  it  around  his  loins,  or  his  hand 
upon  it,  or  else  he  will  sink. 


spijegeon's  gems.  169 

A  MAN  who  has  not  faith  proves  that  he  cannot 
stoop  ;  for  he  has  not  faith,  for  this  reason,  be- 
cause he  is  too  proud  to  believe.  He  declares,  he 
will  not  yet  yield  his  intellect,  he  will  not  become  a 
child,  and  believe  meekly  what  God  tells  him  to  be- 
lieve. He  is  too  proud,  and  he  cannot  enter  heaven, 
because  the  door  of  heaven  is  so  low  that  no  one  can 
enter  in  by  it  unless  they  will  bow  their  heads. 
There  never  was  a  man  who  could  walk  into  salva- 
tion erect.  We  must  go  to  Christ  on  our  bended 
knees ;  for,  though  he  is  a  door  big  enough  for  the 
greatest  sinner  to  come  in,  he  is  a  door  so  low  that 
men  must  stoop  if  they  would  be  saved.  Therefore 
it  is,  that  faith  is  necessary,  because  a  want  of  faith 
is  certain  evidence  of  absence  of  humility. 


THEEE  be  some  men  that  are  born  into  this  world 
master-spirits,  who  walk  about  it  as  giants,  wrap- 
ped in  mantles  of  light  and  glory.  I  refer  to  the 
poets,  men  who  stand  aloft  like  Colossi,  mightier  than 
we,  seeming  to  be  descended  from  celestial  spheres. 
There  be  others  of  acute  intellect,  who,  searching  into 
mysteries  of  science,  discover  things  that  have  been 
hidden  from  the  creation  of  the  world ;  men  of  keen 
research,  and  mighty  erudition ;  and  yet,  of  each  of 
these — poet,  philosopher,  metaphysician,  and   great 

8 


170  spurgeon's  gems. 

discoverer — ^it  shall  be  said,  "The  carnal  mind  is 
enmity  against  God !"  Te  may  train  liim  up,  ye 
may  make  his  intellect  almost  angelic,  ye  may 
strengthen  his  sonl  until  he  shall  take  what  are  rid- 
dles to  ns,  and  unravel  them  with  his  fingers  in  a  mo- 
ment ;  ye  may  make  him  so  mighty,  that  he  can 
grasp  the  iron  secrets  of  the  eternal  hills  and  grind 
them  to  atoms  in  his  fist ;  ye  may  give  him  an  eye  so 
keen,  that  he  can  penetrate  the  arcana  of  rocks  and 
mountains;  ye  may  add  a  soul  so  potent,  that  he 
may  slay  the  giant  Sphinx,  that  had  for  ages  troubled 
the  mightiest  men  of  learning ;  yet,  when  ye  have 
done  all,  his  mind  shall  be  a  depraved  one,  and  his 
carnal  heart  shall  still  be  in  opposition  to  God. 


♦  »• 


IEEAD  in  God's  word  that  the  angel  shall  plant 
one  foot  upon  the  earth,  and  the  other  upon  the 
sea,  and  shall  swear  by  him  that  liveth  and  was  dead, 
that  time  shall  be  no  longer.  But  if  a  soul  could  die 
in  a  thousand  years,  it  would  die  in  time  /  if  a  mil- 
lion of  years  could  elapse,  and  then  the  soul  could  be 
extinguished,  there  would  be  such  a  thing  as  time ; 
for,  talk  to  me  of  years,  and  there  is  time.  But,  sirs, 
when  that  angel  has  spoken  the  word,  "  Time  shall 
be  no  longer,"  things  will  then  be  eternal ;  the  spirit 
shall  proceed  in  its  ceaseless  revolution  of  weal  or 


SPURGEON'S   GEMS.  iYl 

woe,  never  to  be  stayed,  for  there  is  no  time  to  stop 
it ;  the  fact  of  its  stopping  would  imply  time ;  but 
everything  shall  be  eternal,  for  time  shall  cease  to 
be.  It  well  becomes  you,  then,  to  consider  where  ye 
are  and  what  ye  are.  Oh!  stand  and  tremble  on 
the  narrow  neck  of  land  'twixt  the  two  unbounded 
seas,  for  God  in  heaven  alone  can  tell  how  soon  thou 
mayest  be  launched  ujDon  the  eternal  future.  May 
God  grant  that,  when  that  last  hour  may  come,  we 
may  be  prepared  for  it !  Like  the  thief,  unheard, 
unseen,  it  steals  through  night's  dark  shade.  Per- 
haps, as  here  I  stand,  and  rudely  speak  of  these  dark, 
hidden  things,  soon  may  the  hand  be  stretched,  and 
dumb  the  mouth  that  lisps  the  faltering  strain.  Oh, 
thou  that  dwellest  in  heaven,  thou  power  supreme, 
thou  everlasting  King,  let  not  that  hour  intrude  upon 
me  in  an  ill-spent  season ;  but  may  it  find  me  rapt 
in  meditation  high,  hymning  my  great  Creator. 


OCHUKH  of  God !  believe  thyself  invincible,  and 
thou  art  invincible ;  but  stay  to  tremble  and 
fear,  and  thou  art  undone.  Lift  up  thy  head  and 
say,  "  I  am  God's  daughter ;  I  am  Christ's  bride." 
Do  not  stop  to  prove  it,  but  affirm  it ;  march  through 
the  land,  and  kings  and  princes  shall  bow  down  be- 
fore thee,  because  thou  hast  taken  thine  ancieci 
prowess  and  assumed  thine  ancient  glory. 


172  sptjegeon's  gems. 

OH!  hast  tliou  ever  thoiiglit  liow  many  souls  sink 
to  liell  every  hour  ?  Did  the  dreary  thought 
that  the  death-knell  of  a  soul  is  tolled  by  every 
tick  of  yonder  clock,  ever  strike  thee  ?  Hast  thou 
never  thought  that  myriads  of  thy  fellow  creatures 
are  in  hell  now,  and  that  myriads  more  are  hasten- 
ing thither  ?  and  yet  dost  thou  sleep  ?  "What ! 
physician,  wilt  thou  sleep  when  men  are  dying? 
Sailor,  wilt  thou  sleep  when  the  wreck  is  out  at  sea, 
and  the  life-boat  is  waiting  for  hands  to  man  it  ? 
Christian,  wilt  thou  tarry  while  souls  are  being  lost  ? 
I  do  not  say  that  thou  canst  save  them — God  alone 
can  do  that — ^but  thou  mayest  be  the  instrument; 
and  wouldst  thou  lose  the  opportunity  of  winning 
another  jewel  for  thy  crown  in  heaven?  wouldst 
thou  sleep  while  work  is  being  done  ? 


MENTAL  power  may  fill  a  chapel ;  but  sj)iritual 
power  fills  the  church.  Mental  power  may 
gather  a  congregation ;  spiritual  power  will  save 
souls.  We  want  spiritual  power.  Oh !  we  know 
some  before  whom  we  shrink  into  nothing  as  to 
talent,  but  who  have  no  spiritual  power,  and  when 
they  speak  they  have  not  the  Holy  Spirit  with 
them  ;  but  we  know  others,  simple-hearted,  worthy 
men,  who  speak  their  country  dialect,  and  who 
stand  up  to  preach  in  their  country  place,  and  the 


spurgeon's  gems.  173 

Spirit  of  God  clothes  every  word  with  power ;  hearts 
are  broken,  souls  are  saved,  and  sinners  are  Lorn 
again.  Spirit  of  the  living  God!  we  want  thee. 
Thou  art  the  life,  the  soul ;  thou  art  the  source  of 
thy  people's  success;  without  thee  they  can  do 
nothing,  with  thee  they  can  do  everything. 


SOME  say  that  children  learn  sin  by  imitation.  But 
no  :  take  a  child  away,  place  it  under  the  most 
pious  influences,  let  the  very  air  it  breathes  be  puri- 
fied by  piety  ;  let  it  constantly  drink  in  draughts  of 
holiness  ;  let  it  hear  nothing  but  the  voice  of  prayer 
and  praise ;  let  its  ear  be  always  kept  in  tune  by 
notes  of  sacred  song  ;  and  that  child,  notwithstanding, 
may  still  become  one  of  the  grossest  of  transgressors ; 
and  though  j)laced  apparently  on  the  very  road  to 
heaven,  it  shall,  if  not  directed  by  divine  grace, 
march  downwards  to  the  pit.  The  young  crocodile,  I 
have  heard,  when  broken  from  the  shell,  will  in  a 
moment  begin  to  put  itself  in  a  posture  of  attack, 
opening  its  mouth  as  if  it  had  been  taught  and  trained. 
TVe  know  that  young  lions,  when  tamed  and  domes- 
ticated, still  will  have  the  wild  nature  of  their  fellows 
of  the  forest,  and  were  liberty  given  them,  would 
prey  as  fiercely  as  others.  So  with  the  child ;  you 
may  bind  him  with  the  green  withes  of  education, 


174  sptirgeon's  gems. 

you  may  do  what  you  will  witli  Mm,  since  you  can- 
not clianire  liis  heart,  that  carnal  mind  shall  still  be 
at  enmity  against  God ;  and  notwithstanding  intellect, 
talent,  and  all  you  may  give  to  boot,  it  shall  be  of  the 
same  sinful  complexion  as  every  other  child,  if  not  as 
apparently  evil ;  for  "  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity 
against  God." 


IK  hell,  there  is  no  hope.  Tliey  have  not  even  the 
hope  of  dying — ^the  hope  of  being  annihilated. 
They  are  forever — ^forever — forever — lost !  On  every 
chain  in  hell,  there  is  written  "forever."  In  the 
fires,  there  blazes  out  the  words  "forever."  Up 
above  their  heads,  they  read  "  forever."  Their  eyes 
are  galled,  and  their  hearts  are  pained  with  the 
thought  that  it  is  "  forever."  Oh !  if  I  could  tell 
you  to-night  that  hell  would  one  day  be  burned  out, 
and  that  those  who  were  lost  might  be  saved,  there 
would  be  a  jubilee  in  hell  at  the  very  thought  of  it. 
But  it  cannot  be — it  is  ''forever^^  they  are  "  cast  into 
utter  darkness." 


ID  you  ever  think  of  the  value  of  a  soul  ?  Ah ! 
ye  have  not  heard  the  howls  and  yells  of  hell ; 
ye  have  not  heard  the  mighty  songs  and  hosannas  of 
the  glorified;  ye  have  no  notion  of  what  eternity 
is,  or  else  ye  would  know  the  value  of  a  soul. 


spurgeon's  gems.  •  175 

SLEEPY  Christian,  let  me  shout  in  thine  ears: 
thou  art  sleeping  while  souls  are  being  lost, 
sleeping  while  men  are  being  damned,  sleeping 
while  hell  is  being  peopled,  sleeping  while  Christ  is 
being  dishonored,  sleeping  while  the  devil  is  grin- 
ning at  thy  sleepy  face,  sleeping  while  demons  are 
dancing  round  thy  slumbering  carcass,  and  telling  it 
in  hell  that  a  Christian  is  asleep.  You  will  never 
catch  the  devil  asleep ;  let  not  the  devil  catch  you 
asleep.  Watch,  and  be  sober,  that  ye  may  be 
always  up  to  do  your  duty. 


¥E  who  constitute  a  part  of  the  Israel  of  God,  were 
once  the  slaves  of  sin  and  Satan  ;  we  served 
with  hard  bondage  and  rigor  whilst  in  our  natural 
state ;  no  bondage  was  ever  more  terrible  than  ours ; 
we  indeed  made  bricks  without  straw,  and  labored 
in  the  very  fire  ;  but  by  the  strong  hand  of  God  we 
have  been  delivered.  We  have  come  forth  from  the 
prison-house ;  with  joy  we  behold  ourselves  emanci- 
pated— ^the  Lord's  free  men.  The  iron  yoke  is  taken 
from  our  necks ;  we  no  longer  serve  our  lusts,  and 
pay  obedience  to  the  tyrant's  sin.  With  a  high  hand 
and  an  outstretched  arm,  our  God  has  led  us  forth 
from  the  place  of  our  captivity,  and  joyfully  we  pur- 
sue our  way  through  the  wilderness. 


176  spuegeon's  gems. 

WHAT  with  the  wild  beasts  of  Home,  what  with 
the  antichrist  of  Mahomet,  what  with  the  thou- 
sands of  idolatries  and  false  gods,  what  with  infidelity 
in  all  its  myriad  shapes,  many  are  the  enemies  of 
God,  and  mighty  are  the  hosts  of  hell.  Lo,  you  see 
them  gathered  together  this  day ;  horseman  upon 
horseman,  chariot  upon  chariot,  gathered  together 
against  the  Most  High.  I  see  the  trembling  church, 
fearing  to  be  overthrown  ;  I  mark  her  leaders  bend- 
ing their  knees  in  solemn  prayer,  and  crying,  "  Lord, 
save  thy  people,  and  bless  thy  heritage."  But  mine 
eye  looks  through  the  future  with  telescopic  glance, 
and  I  see  the  happy  period  of  the  latter  days,  when 

Ml, 

Christ  shall  reign  triumphant.  I  shall  ask  them 
where  is  Babel  ?  where  is  Rome  ?  where  is  Mahomet  ? 
and  the  answer  shall  come — where?  Why  they 
have  sunk  into  the  depths ;  they  have  sunk  to  the 
bottom  as  a  stone.  Down  there  the  horrid  fire  de- 
vours them,  for  the  sea  of  glass  is  mingled  with  the 
fire  of  judgment.  To-day  I  see  a  battle-field :  the 
whole  earth  is  torn  by  the  hoofs  of  horses  ;  there  is 
the  rumble  of  cannon  and  the  roll  of  drum.  "  To 
arms  !  to  arms  !"  both  hosts  are  shouting.  But  yon 
wait  awhile,  and  you  shall  walk  across  this  plain  of 
battle,  and  say,  "  Seest  thou  that  colossal  system  of 
error  dead  ?  There  lies  another,  all  frozen,  in  ghastly 
death,  in  motionless  stupor.     There  lieth  infidelity ; 


spukgeon's  gems.  177 

there  sleepeth  secularism  and  tlie  secularist ;  there 
lie  those  who  defied  God.  I  see  all  this  vast  host  of 
rebels  lying  scattered  upon  the  earth.  "  Sing  unto 
the  Lord,  for  he  hath  triumphed  gloriously  ;  Jehovah 
has  gotten  unto  himself  the  victory,  and  the  last  of 
his  enemies  are  destroyed."  Then  shall  be  the  time 
when  shall  be  sung  "  the  song  of  Moses  and  of  the 
Lamb." 


CHRIST  in  a  man,  the  gospel  in  the  soul,  is  the 
power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God.  We 
will  picture  the  Christian  from  his  beginning  to  his  end. 
We  will  give  a  short  map  of  his  history.  He  begins 
there,  in  that  prison  house,  with  huge  iron  bars,  which 
he  cannot  file ;  in  that  dark  damp  cell,  where  pestilence 
and  death  are  bred.  There,  in  poverty  and  naked- 
ness, without  a  pitcher  to  put  to  his  thii-sty  lips, 
without  a  mouthful  even  of  dry  crust  to  satisfy  his  hun- 
ger, that  is  where  he  begins — ^in  the  prison  chamber  of 
conviction,  powerless,  lost  and  ruined.  Between  the 
bars  I  thrust  my  hand  to  him,  and  gave  to  him  in 
God's  name  the  name  of  Christ  to  plead.  Look  at 
him ;  he  has  been  filing  away  at  these  bars  many 
and  many  a  day,  without  their  yielding  an  inch ; 
but  now  lie  has  got  the  name  of  Christ  upon  his 
lips  ;  he  puts  his  hand  upon  the  bars,  and  one  of 

them  is   gone,  and   another,  and  another ;   and   he 

ft* 


178  spurgeon's  gems. 

makes  a  liappy  escape,  crying,  "  I  am  free,  I  am 
free,  I  am  free !  Christ  has  been  the  power  of  God 
to  me,  in  bringing  me  out  of  my  trouble."  J^o 
sooner  is  he  free,  however,  than  a  thousand  doubts 
meet  him.  He  comes  soon  into  the  furnace  of 
trouble ;  he  is  thrust  into  the  innermost  prison, 
and  his  feet  are  made  fast  in  the  stocks.  God  has 
put  his  hand  upon  him.  He  is  in  deep  trouble ; 
at  midnight  he  begins  to  sing  of  Christ ;  and  lo ! 
the  walls  begin  to  totter,  and  the  foundation  of  the 
prison  to  shake  ;  and  the  man's  chains  are  taken  off, 
and  he  comes  out  free ;  for  Christ  hath  delivered 
him  from  trouble.  Here  is  a  hill  to  climb  on  the 
road  to  heaven.  Wearily  he  pants  up  the  side  of 
that  hill,  and  thinks  he  must  die,  ere  he  can  reach 
the  summit.  The  name  of  Jesus  is  whispered  in  his 
ear ;  he  leaps  to  his  feet  and  pursues  his  way,  with 
fresh  courage,  until  the  summit  is  gained,  when  he 
cries,  "  Jesus  Christ  is  the  strength  of  my  song :  he 
also  hath  become  my  salvation."  See  him  again. 
He  is  on  a  sudden  beset  by  many  enemies  ;  how  shall 
he  resist  them?  With  this  true  sword,  this  true 
Jerusalem  blade,  Christ  and  him  crucified.  With 
this  he  keeps  the  devil  at  arm's  length  ;  with  this  he 
fights  against  temptation,  against  lust,  against  spirit- 
ual wickedness  in  high  places,  and  with  this  he 
resists,    JSTow,  he  has  come  to  his  last  struggle  ;  the 


spuegeon's  gems.  179 

river  Death  rolls  black  and  sullen  before  him  ;  dark 
shapes  rise  upward  from  the  flood,  and  howl  and 
fright  him.  How  shall  he  cross  the  stream  ?  How 
shall  he  find  a  landing-place  on  the  other  side  ? 
Dread  thoughts  perplex  him  for  a  moment ;  he  is 
alarmed ;  but  he  remember  Jesus  died ;  and  catch- 
ing up  that  watchword  he  ventures  to  the  flood. 
Before  his  feet  the  Jordan  flies  apace  ;  like  Israel  of 
old,  he  walks  through,  dry  shod,  singing  as  he  goes 
to  heaven,  "  Christ  is  with  me,  Christ  is  with  me, 
passing  through  the  stream !  Victory,  victory,  vic- 
tory, to  him  that  loveth  me  !" 


•  •  • 


REMEMBER,  thy  sins  are  like  sowing  for  a  har- 
vest. What  a  harvest  is  that  which  thou  hast 
sown  for  thy  poor  soul !  Thou  hast  sown  the  wind, 
thou  shalt  reap  the  whirlwind ;  thou  hast  sown  ini- 
quity, thou  shalt  reap  damnation.  But  what  hast 
thou  done  against  the  gospel?  Remember,  how 
many  times  this  year  thou  hast  heard  it  preached. 
Why,  since  thy  birth,  there  have  been  wagon  loads 
of  sermons  wasted  on  thee.  Thy  parents  prayed  for 
thee  in  thy  youth ;  thy  friends  instructed  thee  till 
thou  didst  come  to  manhood.  Since  then  how  many 
a  tear  has  been  wept  by  the  minister  for  thee !  How 
many  an  earnest  appeal  has  been  shot  into  thine 


180  spttrgeon's  gems. 

heart!  But  thou  hast  rent  out  the  arrow.  Minis- 
ters have  been  concerned  to  save  thee,  and  thou 
hast  never  been  concerned  about  thyself.  What 
hast  thou  done  against  Christ?  Remember,  Christ 
has  been  a  good  Christ  to  sinners  here ;  but  as  there 
is  nothing  that  burns  so  well  as  that  soft  substance 
oil,  so  there  is  nothing  that  will  be  so  furious  as  that 
gentle-hearted  Saviour,  when  he  comes  to  be  your 
judge.  Fiercer  than  a  lion  on  his  prey  is  rejected 
love.  Despise  Christ  on  the  cross,  and  it  will  be  a 
terrible  thing  to  be  judged  by  Christ  on  his  throne. 


BELOYED,  can  you  conceive  how  much  Christ 
will  love  you  when  you  are  in  heaven?  Have 
you  ever  tried  to  fathom  that  bottomless  sea  of  affec- 
tion in  which  you  shall  swim,  when  you  shall  bathe 
yourself  in  seas  of  heavenly  rest  ?  Did  you  ever 
think  of  the  love  which  Christ  will  manifest  to  you, 
when  he  shall  present  you  without  spot,  or  blemish, 
or  any  such  thing,  before  his  Father's  throne  ?  Well, 
pause  and  remember,  that  he  loves  you  at  this  hour 
as  much  as  he  will  love  you  then  ;  for  he  will  be  the 
same  forever  as  he  is  to-day,  and  he  is  the  same  to- 
day as  he  will  be  forever.  This  one  thing  I  know  :  if 
Jesus'  heart  is  set  on  me  he  will  not  love  me  one  atom 
better  when  this  head  wears  a  crown,  and  when  this 


spuegeon's  gems.  181 

hand  shall  with  joyous  fingers  touch  the  strings  of 

golden  harps,  than  he  does  now,  amidst  all  my  sin, 

and  care  and  woe.     I  believe  that  saying  which  is 

written — "As  the  Father  hath  loved  me,  even  so 

have  I  loved  you ;"  and  a  higher  degree  of  love  we 

cannot  imagine.     The  Father  loves  his  Son  infinitely, 

and  even  so  to-day,  believer,  doth  the  Son  of  God 

love  thee.     Every  bowel  yearns  over  thee ;    all  his 

heart  flows  out  to  thee.     All  his  life  is  thine  ;  all  his 

person  is  thine.     He  cannot  love  thee  more  ;  he  will 

not  love  thee  less.    "  The  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and 

for  ever." 

»-♦-• — 

AFTER  passing  the  Red  Sea,  the  song  of  Moses 
was  sung  by  the  side  of  a  sea,  which  was  glassy, 
and  still ;  for  a  little  season  the  floods  had  been  dis- 
turbed, divided,  separated,  congealed,  but  afterwards 
when  Israel  had  passed  the  flood,  they  became  as 
ever,  for  the  enemy  had  sunken  to  the  bottom  like  a 
stone,  and  the  sea  returned  to  its  strength  when  the 
morning  appeared.  Is  there  ever  a  time,  then,  when 
this  great  sea  of  Providence,  which  now  stands  part- 
ed to  give  a  passage  to  God's  saints,  shall  become  a 
level  surface  ?  Is  there  a  day  when  the  now  divided 
dispensations  of  God,  which  are  kept  from  following 
out  their  legitimate  tendency  to. do  justice  upon  sin 
— when  the  two  seas  of  justice  shall  commingle,  and 


182  spuegeon's  gems. 

the  one  sea  of  God's  providence  shall  be  "  a  sea  of 
glass  mingled  with  fire  ?"  Yes,  the  day  is  drawing 
nigh  when  God's  enemies  shall  no  longer  make  it 
necessary  for  God's  providence  to  be  apparently  dis- 
turbed to  save  his  people^  when  the  great  designs  of 
God  shall  be  accomplished,  and  therefore  when  the 
walls  of  water  shall  roll  together,  whilst  in  their  in- 
most depths  the  evei;lasting  burning  fire  shall  consume 
the  wicked.  Oh !  the  sea  shall  be  calm  u]Don  the 
surface :  the  sea  upon  which  God's  people  shall 
walk  shall  seem  to  be  a  sea  that  is  clear,  without  a 
weed,  without  an  impurity ;  whilst  down  in  its  hol- 
low bosom,  far  beyond  all  mortal  ken,  shall  be  the 
horrid  depths  where  the  wicked  must  forever  dwell 
in  the  fire  which  is  mingled  with  the  glass. 


• » • 


riEOM  the  fiery  days  of  the  stakes  of  Smithfield 
X  even  until  now,  the  world's  black  heart  has 
hated  the  church,  and  the  world's  cruel  hand  and 
laughing  lip  have  been  forever  against  us.  The 
host  of  the  mighty  are  pursuing  us,  and  are  thirsty 
for  our  blood,  and  anxious  to  cut  us  off  from  the 
earth.  Such  is  our  position  unto  this  hour,  and  such 
must  it  be  until  we  are  landed  on  the  other  side  of 
Jordan,  and  until  our  Maker  comes  to  reign  on  the 
earth. 


sptjegeon's  gems.  183 

CHRIST  is  the  same  ;  upon  Ms  brow  there  is  ne'er 
a  furrow  ;  liis  locks  are  grej  with  reverence,  but 
not  with  age;  his  feet  stand  as  firm  as  when 
they  trod  the  everlasting  mountains  in  the  years 
before  the  world  was  made — his  eyes  as  pierc- 
ing as  when,  for  the  first  time,  he  looked  upon  a  new- 
born world.  Christ's  person  never  changes.  Should 
he  come  on  earth  to  visit  us  again,  as  sure  he  will, 
we  should  find  him  the  same  Jesus ;  as  loving,  as  ap- 
proachable, as  generous,  as  kind,  and  though  arrayed 
in  nobler  garments  than  he  wore  when  first  he  visited 
earth,  though  no  more  the  Man  of  Sorrows  and  griefs 
acquaintance,  yet  he  would  be  the  same  person,  un- 
changed by  all  his  glories,  his  triumphs,  and  his  joys. 
We  bless  Christ  that  amid  his  heavenly  splendors  his 
person  is  just  the  same,  and  his  nature  unafiected. 
"  Jesus  Christ  the  same  yesterday,  and  to-day,  and 
for  ever." 

GOD'S  first  and  greatest  object  is  his  own  glory. 
There  was  a  time,  before  all  time,  when  there 
was  no  day  but  the  Ancient  of  days,  when  God 
dwelt  alone  in  the  magnificence  of  his  sublime  soli- 
tude. Whether  he  should  create,  or  not  create,  was 
a  question  depending  upon  the  answer  to  another 
question — ^Would  it  be  to  his  honor  or  not?  He 
determined  that  he  would  gloiify  himself  by  creat- 


184  spurgeon's  gems. 

ing ;  but,  in  creating,  beyond  all  doubt,  bis  motive 
was  his  glory.  And  since  that  time,  be  bath  ever 
ruled  the  earth,  and  even  blessed  it  with  the  same 
object  in  his  infinite  mind — his  own  glory  and 
honor.  Lesser  motive  for  God  to  have,  were  less 
than  divine  ;  it  is  the  highest  position  to  which  you 
or  I  could  attain,  to  live  for  God ;  and  the  very 
highest  virtue  of  God  is  for  him  to  magnify  himself 
in  all  his  greatness  as  the  Infinite  and  the  Eternal. 
"Whatever,  then,  God  permits  or  does,  he  doth  with 
this  one  motive,  his  own  glory.  And  even  salvation, 
costly  though  it  was,  and  infinitely  a  benefaction  to 
us,  had  for  its  first  object,  and  for  its  grand  result, 
the  exaltation  of  the  Being  and  of  the  attributes  of 
the  Supreme  Ruler. 


WHEISTEYEE  God  has  blessed  the  Church,  he 
has  secured  himself  the  glory  of  the  blessing, 
though  they  have  had  the  profit  of  it.  Sometimes 
he  has  been  pleased  to  redeem  his  people  by  might ; 
but  then  he  has  so  used  the  might  and  power  that  all 
the  glory  hath  come  to  him,  and  his  head  alone  hath 
worn  the  crown.  Did  he  smite  Egypt,  and  lead 
forth  his  people,  with  a  strong  hand  and  an  out- 
stretched arm ;  the  glory  was  not  to  the  rod  of 
Moses,  but  to  the  Almighty  power  which  made  the 


spurgeon's  gems.  185 

rod  so  potent.  Did  he  lead  liis  people  through  the 
wilderness,  and  defend  them  from  their  enemies? 
Still,  did  he,  by  teaching  the  peojDle  their  depen- 
dence, -npon  him  preserve  to  himself  all  the  glory  ? 
So  that  not  Moses  or  Aaron  amongst  the  priests  or 
prophets  conld  share  the  honor  with  him.  And  tell 
me,  if  ye  will,  of  slaughtered  Anak,  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  tribes  of  Canaan;  tell  me  of  Israel's 
possessing  the  promised  land  ;  tell  me  of  Philistines 
routed,  and  laid  heaps  on  heaps  ;  of  Midianites  made 
to  fall  on  each  other ;  tell  me  of  kings  and  princes 
who  fled  apace  and  fell,  until  the  ground  was  white, 
like  the  snow  in  Salmon.  I  will  say  of  every  one  of 
these  triumphs,  "  sing  ye  to  the  Lord^  for  he  hath 
triumphed  gloriously  ;"  and  1  will  say  at  the  end  of 
every  victory,  "  Crown  him^  crown  him^  for  he  hath 
done  it ;  and  let  his  name  be  exalted  and  extolled, 
world  without  end." 


DID  you  ever  hear  of  a  nation  under  British  rule 
being  converted  to  God  ?  Mr.  Moffat  and  our 
great  friend  Dr.  Livingston  have  been  laboring  in 
Africa  with  great  success,  and  many  have  been  con- 
verted. Did  you  ever  hear  of  Caffir  tribes  protected 
by  England,  ever  being  converted  ?  It  is  only  a 
people  that  have  been  left  to  themselves,  and 
preached  to  by  men  as  men,  that  have  been  brought 


186  spurgeon's  gems. 

to  God.  For  my  part,  I  conceive,  that  when  an 
enterprise  begins  in  martyrdom,  it  is  none  the  less 
likely  to  succeed ;  but  when  conquerors  begin  to 
preach  the  gospel  to  those  they  have  conquered,  it 
will  not  succeed  ;  God  will  teach  us  that  it  is  not  by 
might.  All  swords  that  have  ever  flashed  from 
scabbards  have  not  aided  Christ  a  single  grain. 
Mohammedans'  religion  might  be  sustained  by  cimi- 
tars,  but  Christians'  religion  must  be  sustained  by 
love.  The  great  crime  of  war  can  never  promote 
the  religion  of  peace.  The  battle,  and  the  garment 
rolled  in  blood,  are  not  a  fitting  prelude  to  "  peace 
on  earth  ;  goodwill  to  men."  And  I  do  firmly  hold, 
that  the  slaughter  of  men,  that  bayonets,  and  swords, 
and  guns,  have  never  yet  been,  and  never  can  be, 
promoters  of  the  gospel.  The  gospel  will  proceed 
without  them,  but  never  through  them.  "  'Not  by 
might."  ISTow  don't  be  befooled  again,  if  you  hear 
of  the  English  conquering  in  China,  don't  go  down 
on  your  knees  and  thank  God  for  it,  and  say,  it's  such 
a  heavenly  thing  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel— it  just 
is  not.  Experience  teaches  you  that;  and  if  you 
look  upon  the  map  you  will  find  I  have  stated  the 
truth,  that  where  our  arms  have  been  victorious,  the 
gospel  has  been  hindered  rather  than  not ;  so  that 
where  South  Sea  Islanders  have  bowed  their  knees 
and  cast  their  idols  to  the  bats,  British  Hindoos  have 


SPrEGEON's   GEMS.  187 

kept  their  idols ;  and  where  Bechnanas  and  Bushmen 
have  turned  unto  the  Lord,  British  Caffirs  have  not 
been  converted ;  not  perhaps  because  they  were 
British,  but  because  the  very  fact  of  the  missionary 
being  a  Briton,  put  him  above  them,  and  weakened 
their  influence.  Hush  thy  trump,  O  war  ;  put  away 
thy  gaudy  traj)pings  and  thy  bloodstained  drapery ; 
if  thou  thinkest  that  the  cannon  with  the  cross  upon 
it  is  really  sanctified,  and  if  thou  imaginest  that  thy 
banner  hath  become  holy,  tliou  dreamest  of  a  lie. 
God  wanteth  not  thee  to  help  his  cause.  "  It  is  not 
by  armies,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the 
Lord." 


•  ♦• 


¥E  have  delighted  in  our  happier  moments,  in 
days  that  have  rolled  away,  to  think  of  him  that 
loved  us  when  we  had  no  being ;  we  have  often  sung 
with  rapture  of  him  that  loved  us  when  we  loved  not 
him. 

"  Jesus  sought  me  when  a  stranger, 
"Wandering  from  the  fold  of  God ; 
He  to  save  my  soul  from  danger 
Interposed  his  precious  blood," 

"We  have  looked  back,  too,  upon  the  years  of  our 
troubles  and  our  trials  ;  and  we  can  bear  our  solemn 
though  humble  witness,  that  he  has  been  true  to  us 
in  all  our  exigencies,  and  has  never  failed  us  once. 


188  spuegeon's  gems. 

Come,  then,  let  lis  comfort  ourselves  with  this  thought 
— ^that  though  to-day  he  may  distress  its  with  a  sense 
of  sin,  yet  his  heart  is  just  the  same  to  us  as  ever. 
Christ  may  wear  masks  that  look  black  to  his  people, 
but  his  face  is  always  the  same ;  Christ  may  some- 
times take  a  rod  in  his  hand  instead  of  a  golden  scep- 
tre ;  but  the  name  of  his  saints  is  as  much  engraved 
upon  the  hand  that  grasps  the  rod  as  upon  the  palm 
that  clasps  the  sceptre. 


-•  •• 


GOD  will  not  acquit  the  wicked,  because  he  is  good. 
The  Judge  must  condemn  the  murderer,  because 
he  loves  his  nation.  The  kindness  of  a  king  demands 
the  punishment  of  those  who  are  guilty.  It  is  not 
wrathful  in  the  legislature  to  make  severe  laws 
against  great  sinners ;  it  is  but  love  towards  the  rest 
that  sin  should  be  restrained.  Yon  great  flood-gates, 
which  keep  back  the  torrent  of  sin,  are  painted  black, 
and  look  right  horrible  ;  like  horrid  dungeon  gates, 
they  afright  my  spirit ;  but  are  they  proofs  that  God 
is  not  good  ?  !N"o ;  if  ye  could  open  wide  those  gates, 
and  let  the  deluge  of  sin  flow  on  us,  then  would  you 
cry,  "  O  God,  O  God !  shut-to  the  gates  of  punish- 
ment again,  let  law  again  be  established,  set  up  the 
pillars,  and  swing  the  gates  upon  their  hinges  ^  shut 
again  the  gates  of  punishment,  that  this  world  may 


SPUKGEON  S   GEMS.  189 

not  again  be  utterly  destroyed  by  men  who  have  be- 
come worse  than  brutes."  It  needs  for  very  good- 
ness sake  that  sin  should  be  punished.  Mercy,  with 
her  weeping  eyes  (for  she  hath  wept  for  sinners), 
when  she  finds  they  will  not  repent,  looks  more  ter- 
ribly stern  in  her  loveliness  than  Justice  in  all  his 
majesty ;  she  drops  the  white  flag  from  her  hand, 
and  saith — "  J^o  ;  I  called,  and  they  refused ;  I 
stretched  out  my  hand,  and  no  man  regarded;  let 
them  die,  let  them  die  ;"  and  that  terrible  word  from 
the  lip  of  Mercy's  self  is  harsher  thunder  than  the 
very  damnation  of  Justice.  Oh,  yes,  the  goodness 
of  God  demands  that  men  should  perish,  if  they  will 
sin. 


OMY  heart,  I  bid  thee  now  put  thy  treasure  where 
thou  canst  never  lose  it.  Put  it  in  Christ ;  put 
all  thine  affections  in  his  person,  all  thy  hope  in  his 
glory,  all  thy  trust  in  his  efficacious  blood,  all  thy  joy 
in  his  presence,  and  then  thou  wilt  have  put  thyself 
and  put  thine  all  where  thou  canst  never  lose  any- 
thing, because  it  is  secure.  Kemember,  O  my  heart, 
that  the  time  is  coming  when  all  things  must  fade, 
and  when  thou  must  part  with  all.  Death's  gloomy 
night  must  soon  put  out  thy  sunshine  ;  the  dark  flood 
must  soon  roll  between  thee  and  all  thou  hast.  Then 
put  thine  heart  with  him  who  will  nevei*  leave  thee ; 


190  spuegeon's  gems. 

trust  thyself  with  him  who  will  go  with  thee  through 
the  black  and  surging  current  of  death's  stream,  and 
who  will  walk  with  thee  up  the  steep  hills  of  heaven 
and  make  thee  sit  together  with  him  in  heavenly 
places  forever.  Go,  tell  thy  secrets  to  that  friend 
that  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother.  M.j  heart,  I 
charge  thee,  trust  all  thy  concerns  with  him  who 
never  can  be  taken  from  thee,  who  will  never  leave 
thee,  and  who  will  never  let  thee  leave  him,  even 
"  Jesus  Christ  the  same  yesterday,  and  to-day,  and 
forever." 


C HEIST  JESUS,  whom  we  adore,  thou  art  as 
young  as  ever  !  We  came  into  this  world  with 
the  ignorance  of  infancy ;  we  grow  up  searching, 
studying,  and  learning  with  the  diligence  of  youth ; 
we  attain  to  some  little  knowledge  in  our  riper  years ; 
and  then  in  our  old  age  we  totter  back  to  the  imbeci- 
lity of  our  childhood.  But  oh,  our  Master !  thou  didst 
perfectly  foreknow  all  mortal  or  eternal  things  from 
before  the  foundations  of  the  world,  and  thou  knowest 
all  things  now,  and  forever  thou  shalt  be  the  sam^ 
in  thine  omniscience.  We  are  one  day  strong,  and 
the  next  day  weak — one  day  resolved,  and  the  next 
day  wavering — one  hour  constant,  and  the  next  hour 
as  unstable  as  water.  We  are  one  moment  holy, 
kept  by  the  power  of  God ;  we  are  the  next  moment 


sptjegeon's  gems.  191 

sinning,  led  astray  by  our  own  Insts ;  but  our  Master 
is  forever  the  same ;  pure,  and  never  spotted  ;  firm, 
and  never  changing — everlastingly  Omnipotent,  un- 
cliangeably  Omniscient.  From  bim  no  attribute 
dotb  pass  away  ;  to  bim  no  parallax,  no  tropic,  ever 
comes ;  witbout  variableness  or  sbadow  of  a  turning, 
be  abidetb  fast  and  firm. 


•  •♦■ 


SOMETIMES  tears  are  base  tbings ;  tbe  ofispring 
of  a  cowardly  spirit.  Some  men  weep  wben  tbey 
sbould  knit  tbeir  brows,  and  many  a  woman  weepetb 
wben  sbe  sbould  resign  berself  to  tbe  will  of  God. 
Many  of  tbose  briny  drops  are  but  an  expression  of 
cbild-like  weakness.  It  were  well  if  we  could  wipe 
sucb  tears  away,  and  face  a  frowning  world  witb  a 
constant  countenance.  But  ofttimes  tears  are  tbe 
index  of  strengtb.  Tbere  are  periods  wben  tbey  are 
tbe  noblest  tbing  in  tbe  world.  Tbe  tears  of  peni- 
tents are  precious;  a  cup  of  tbem  were  wortb  a 
king's  ransom.  It  is  no  sign  of  weakness  wben  a 
-man  weeps  for  sin ;  it  sbows  tbat  be  batb  strengtb  of 
mind ;  nay,  more,  tbat  be  batb  strengtb  imparted  by 
God,  wbicb  enables  bim  to  forswear  bis  lusts  and 
overcome  bis  passions,  and  to  turn  unto  God  witb  full 
purpose  of  beart.  And  tbere  are  otber  tears,  too, 
wbicb   are   tbe   evidences  not  of  weakness,  but  of 


192  sphrgeon's  gems. 

might — the  tears  of  tender  sympathy  are  the  children 
of  strong  affection,  and  thej  are  strong  like  their  pa- 
rents. He  that  loveth  much  must  weep  much; 
much  love  and  much  sorrow  must  go  together  in  this 
vale  of  tears.  The  unfeeling  heart,  the  unloving 
spirit  may  pass  from  earth's  portal  to  its  utmost 
bound  almost  without  a  sigh  except  for  itself;  but  he 
that  loveth  hath  digged  as  many  wells  of  tears  as  he 
has  chosen  objects  of  affection;  for  by  as  many  as 
our  friends  are  multiplied,  by  so  many  must  our 
griefs  be  multiplied  too,  if  we  have  love  enough  to 
share  in  their  griefs  and  to  bear  their  burden  for 
them.  The  largest  hearted  man  will  miss  many 
sorrows  that  a  smaller  one  will  feel,  but  he  will  have 
to  endure  many  sorrows  the  poor  narrow-minded 
spirit  nevei  knoweth. 


UlSTDEESTAl^DING  can  never  get  to  that  peace 
which  the  Christian  hath  attained.  The  philo- 
sopher may  teach  us  much ;  he  can  never  give  us 
rules  whereby  to  reach  the  peace  that  Christians 
have  in  their  conscience.  Diogenes  may  tell  us  to 
do  without  everything,  and  may  live  in  his  tub,  and 
then  think  himself  happier  than  Alexander,  and  that 
he  enjoys  peace;  but  we  look  upon  the  poor  crea- 
ture after  all,  and  though  we  may  be  astonished  at 


sphrgeon's  gems.  193 

his  courage,  yet  we  are  obliged  to  despise  his  folly. 
We  do  not  believe  that  even  when  he  had  dispensed 
with  everything,  he  possessed  a  quiet  of  mind,  a 
total  and  entire  peace,  such  as  the  true  believer  can 
enjoy.  We  find  the  greatest  philosophers  of  old 
laying  down  maxims  for  life,  which  they  thought 
would  certainly  pi:omote  happiness.  We  find  that 
they  were  not  always  able  to  practise  them  them- 
selves, and  many  of  their  disciples,  when  they  labored 
hard  to  put  them  in  execution,  found  themselves 
encumbered  with  impossible  rules  to  accomplish 
impossible  objects.  But  the  Christian  man  does 
with  faith  what  a  man  can  never  do  himself. 


THEKE  is  one  expression  in  the  song  of  Moses 
which  ought  to  be,  and  I  believe  is,  when  set  to 
music,  very  frequently  repeated.  It  is  that  part  of 
the  song,  as  recorded  in  the  Psalms,  where  it  is  de- 
clared that  the  whole  host  of  Pharoah  were  utterly 
destroyed,  and  there  was  not  one  of  them  left.  When 
that  great  song  was  sung  by  the  side  of  the  Ped  Sea, 
there  was,  no  doubt,  a  special  emphasis  laid  upon 
that  expression,  "  not  one."  I  think  I  hear  the  hosts 
of  Israel.  When  the  words  were  known  by  them, 
they  began  and  they  proceeded  thus — "  There  is  not 
one  of  them  left;"  and  then   in  various  parts  the 

9 


194  spuegeon's  gems. 

words  were  repeated,  "  I^ot  one,  not  one."  And  then 
the  women  with  their  sweet  voices  sang,  "  ITot  one, 
not  one."  I  believe  that  at  the  last,  a  part  of  our 
triumph  will  be  the  fact,  that  there  is  not  one  left. 
We  shall  look  abroad  throughout  the  earth,  and  see 
it  all  a  level  sea  ;  and  not'one  foeman  pursuing  us — 
"  not  one,  not  one  !"  Raise  thyself  never  so  high,  O 
thou  deceiver,  thou  canst  not  live  ;  for  not  one  shall 
escape.  Lift  thy  head  never  so  proudly,  O  despot, 
thou  canst  not  live ;  for  not  one  shall  escape.  O  heir 
of  heaven,  not  one  sin  shall  cross  the  Jordan  after 
thee ;  not  one  shall  pass  the  Red  Sea  to  overtake 
thee  ;  but  this  shall  be  the  summit  of  thy  triumph — 
"  Not  one,  not  one  !  not  one  of  them  is  left." 


ALL  things  have  changed.  We  believe  that  not 
only  in  appearance  but  in  reality,  the  world  is 
growing  old.  The  sun  itself  must  soon  grow  dim  with 
age  ;  the  folding  lip  of  the  worn-out  vesture  has  com- 
menced ;  the  changing  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth 
has  certainly  begun.  They  shall  perish  ;  they  all  shall 
wax  old  as  doth  a  garment :  but  forever  blessed  be 
him  who  is  the  same,  and  of  whose  years  there  is  no 
end.  Tlie  satisfaction  that  the  mariner  feels,  when 
after  having  been  tossed  about  for  many  a  day,  he  puts 
his  foot  upon  the  solid  shore,  is  just  the  satisfaction 


spukgeon's  gems.  195 

of  a  Christian  wlien,  amidst  all  tlie  changes  of  this 
troublous  life,  he  plants  the  foot  of  liis  faith  upon 
such  a  text  as  this — "  The  same  yesterday,  and  to-day, 
and  forever."  The  same  stability  that  the  anchor 
gives  the  ship,  when  it  hath  at  last  got  the  grip  of 
some  immovable  rock,  that  same  stability  doth  our 
hope  give  to  our  spirits,  when,  like  an  anchor,  it  fixes 
itself  in  a  truth  so  glorious  as  this — "  Jesus  Christ  the 
same  yesterday,  and  to-day,  and  forever." 


r'  would  seem  as  if  some  men  had  been  sent  into 
this  world  for  the  very  purpose  of  being  the 
world's  weepers.  God's  great  house  is  thoroughly  fur- 
nished with  everything ;  everything  that  can  express 
the  thoughts  and  the  emotions  of  the  inhabitants  God 
hath  made.  I  find  in  nature  plants  to  be  everlasting 
weepers.  Tliere  by  the  lonely  brook,  where  the 
maiden  cast  away  her  life,  the  willow  weeps  forever ; 
and  there  in  the  grave-yard,  where  men  lie  slumber- 
ing till  the  trumpet  of  the  archangel  shall  awaken 
them,  stands  the  dull  cypress,  mourning  in  its  sombre 
garments.  ITow,  as  it  is  with  nature,  so  it  is  with 
the  race  of  man.  Mankind  have  bravery  and  bold- 
ness ;  they  must  have  their  heroes  to  express  their 
courage.  Mankind  have  some  love  to  their  fellow- 
creatures  ;  they  must  have  their  fine  philanthropists 


196  spuegeon's  gems. 

to  live  out  mankind's  philanthropy.  Men  have 
their  sorrows ;  thej  must  have  their  weejDers ;  thej 
must  have  men  of  sorrows,  who  have  it  for  their  avo- 
cation and  their  business,  to  weep,  from  the  cradle  to 
the  grave ;  to  be  ever  weeping,  not  so  much  for 
themselves  as  for  the  woes  of  others. 


DEAR  friends,  the  last  song  in  this  world,  the  song 
of  triumph,  shall  be  full  of  God,  and  of -no  one 
else.  Here  you  praise  the  instrument ;  to-day  you 
look  on  this  man  and  on  that,  and  you  say,  "  Thank 
God  for  this  minister,  and  for  this  man !"  To-day 
you  say,  "  Blessed  be  God  for  Luther,  who  shook  the 
Vatican,  and  thank  God  for  "Whitfield,  who  stirred 
up  a  slumbering  church ;"  but  in  that  day  you  shall 
not  sing  of  Luther,  nor  of  Whitfield,  nor  of  any  of  the 
mighty  ones  of  God's  hosts ;  forgotten  shall  their 
names  be  for  a  season,  even  as  the  stars  refuse  to 
shine  when  the  Sun  himself  appeareth.  The  song 
shall  be  unto  Jehovah,  and  Jehovah  only  ;  we  shall 
not  have  a  word  to  say  for  preachers  nor  bishops,  not 
a  syllable  to  say  for  good  men  and  true ;  but  the 
whole  song  from  first  to  last  shall  be,  "  Unto  him 
that  loved  us,  and  hath  washed  us  from  our  sins  in 
his  own  blood,  unto  him  be  glory  forever  and 
ever.  Amen." 


SPURGEON  8   GEMS.  197 

YOU  know,  beloved,  that  after  all,  tlie  greatest 
works  that  have  been  done  have  been  done  by 
the  ones.  The  hundreds  do  not  often  do  much  ;  the 
comi^anies  never  do  ;  it  is  the  nnits,  jnst  the  single 
individuals,  that  after  all  are  the  power  and  the 
might.  Take  any  parish  in  England  where  there  is 
a  well-regulated  society  for  doing  good — it  is  some 
young  woman  or  some  young  man  who  is  the  very 
life  of  it.  Take  any  Church,  there  are  multitudes  in 
it,  but  it  is  some  two  or  three  that  do  the  work. 
Look  on  the  Keformation ;  there  might  be  many 
reformers,  but  there  was  but  one  Luther ;  there 
might  be  many  teachers,  but  there  was  but  one 
Calvin.  Look  ye  upon  the  preachers  of  the  last 
age,  the  mighty  preachers  who  stirred  up  tlie 
churches ;  there  were  many  coadjutors  with  them ; 
but  after  all,  it  was  not  Whitfield's  friends,  nor 
"Wesley's  friends,  but  the  men  themselves  that  did  it. 
Lidividual  eifort  is,  after  all,  the  grand  thing.  A 
man  alone  can  do  more  than  a  man  with  fifty  men  at 
his  heels  to  fetter  him.  Committees  are  very  seldom 
of  much  use  ;  and  bodies  and  societies  sometimes  are 
loss  of  strength  instead  of  gain.  It  is  said,  that  if 
IToah's  Ark  had  had  to  be  built  by  a  company,  they 
would  not  have  laid  the  keel  yet ;  and  it  is  perhaps 
true.  There  is  scarcely  anything  done  by  a  body  ; 
it  almost  always  fails  ;  because  what  is  many  men's 


198  spukgeon's  gems. 

business  is  just  nobody's  business  at  all.  Just  the 
same  witli  religion,  the  grand  things  must  be  done 
bj  the  ones,  the  great  works  of  God  must  be  accom- 
plished by  single  men.  Look  back  through  old 
history.  Who  delivered  Israel  from  the  Philistines  ? 
It  was  a  solitary  Samson.  Who  was  it  gathered 
the  peoj)le  together  to  rout  the  Midianites  ?  It 
was  one  Gideon,  who  cried,  "  Tlie  sword  of  the 
Lord  and  of  Gideon."  Who  was  he  that  smote  the 
enemy  ?  It  was  one  Shamgar,  with  his  ox  goad,  or 
it  was  an  Egon,  who  with  his  dagger,  put  an  end  to 
his  country's  tyrant.  Separate  men — Davids  with 
their  slings  and  stones,  have  done  more  than  armies 
will  accomplish. 


OH  !  ye  that  lean  wearily  on  your  staff,  the  support 
of  your  old  age,  have  ye  not  sins  still  clinging  to 
your  garments?  Are  your  lives  as  white  as  the 
snowy  hair  that  crowns  your  head  ?  Do  you  not  still 
feel  that  transgression  besmears  the  skirts  of  your 
robe,  and  mars  its  spotlessness  ?  How  often  are 
you  now  plunged  into  the  ditch  till  your  own 
clothes  do  abhor  you.  Cast  your  eyes  over  the 
sixty,  the  seventy,  the  eighty  years,  during  which 
God  hath  spared  your  lives ;  and  can  ye  for  a  mo- 
ment think  it  possible,  that  ye  can  number  up  your 
innumerable  transgressions,  or  compute  the  weight 


spurgeon's  gems.  199 

of  the  crimes  which  you  have  committed?  O  ye 
stars  of  heaven !  the  astronomer  may  measure  yonr 
distance  and  tell  yonr  height,  bnt  O  ye  sins  of  man- 
kind !  ye  surpass  all  thought.  O  ye  lofty  mountains  ! 
the  home  of  the  tem]3est,  the  birth-place  of  the 
storm  !  man  may  climb  your  summits  and  stand  won- 
deringly  upon  your  snows ;  but  ye  hills  of  sin !  ye 
tower  higher  than  our  thoughts  ;  ye  chasms  of  trans- 
gressions !  ye  are  deeper  than  our  imagination  dares 
to  dive.  Do  you  accuse  me  of  slandering  human  na- 
ture ?  It  is  because  you  know  it  not.  K  God  had  once 
manifested  your  heart  to  yourself,  you  would  bear  me 
witness,  that  so  far  from  exaggerating,  my  poor  words 
fail  to  describe  the  desperateness  of  our  evil.  Oh  !  if 
we  could  each  of  us  look  into  our  hearts  to-day — if 
our  eyes  could  be  turned  within,  so  as  to  see  the  ini- 
quity that  is  graven  as  with  the  point  of  the  diamond 
upon  our  stony  hearts,  we  should  then  say  to  the 
minister,  that  however  he  may  depict  the  desperate- 
ness of  guilt,  yet  can  he  not  by  any  means  sur- 
pass it.  How  great  then,  beloved,  must  be  the 
ransom  of  Christ,  when  he  saved  us  from  all  these 
sins  !  The  men  for  whom  Jesus  died,  however  great 
their  sin,  when  they  believe,  are  justified  from  all 
their  transgressions.  Though  they  may  have  in- 
dulged in  every  vice  and  every  lust  which  Satan 
could  suggest,  and  which  human  nature  could  per- 


200  spurgeon's  gems. 

form,  yet  once  believing,  all  tlieir  guilt  is  washed 
away.  Year  after  year  may  have  coated  them  with 
blackness,  till  their  sin  hath  become  of  double  dye  ; 
but  in  one  moment  of  faith,  one  triumphant  moment 
of  confidence  in  Christ,  the  great  redemption  takes 
away  the  guilt  of  numerous  years.  ISTay,  more,  if  it 
were  possible  for  all  the  sins  that  men  have  done,  in 
thought,  or  word,  or  deed,  since  worlds  were  made, 
or  time  began,  to  meet  on  one  poor  head — the  great 
redemption  is  all-sufficient  to  take  all  these  sins  away, 
and  wash  the  sinner  whiter  than  the  driven  snow. 


YOU  see  yonder  ship.  After  a  long  voyage,  it 
has  neared  the  haven,  but  is  much  injured ;  the 
sails  are  rent  to  ribbons,  and  it  is  in  such  a  forlorn  con- 
dition that  it  cannot  come  up  to  the  harbor :  a  steam- 
tug  is  pulling  it  in  with  the  greatest  possible  difficulty. 
That  is  like  the  righteous  being  "scarcely  saved." 
But  do  you  see  that  otlier  ship  ?  It  has  made  a  pros- 
perous voyage  ;  and  now,  laden  to  the  water's  edge, 
with  the  sails  all  up  and  with  the  white  canvas  filled 
with  the  wind,  it  rides  into  the  harbor  joyously  and 
nobly.  That  is  an  "  abundant  entrance  ;"  and  if  you 
and  I  are  helped  by  God's  Spirit  to  add  to  our  faith,  vir- 
tue, and  so  on,  we  shall  have  at  the  last  an  "  abundant 
entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.'' 


M 


spttrgeon's  gems.  201 

OSES  not  only  rejoiced  for  what  had..been  done, 
bnt  for  the   future   consequences   of  it.      He 
gays — "  The  people  of  Canaan,  whom  we  are  about 
to  attack,  will  now  be  seized  with  sudden  fear  ;  by 
the  greatness  ot*  thy  arm  they  shall  be  as  still  as  a 
stone."     Oh !  I  think  I  hear  them  singing  that  too, 
sweetly   and   softly — "  as   still   as   a   stone."     How 
would  the   words   come   full,   like    gentle   thunder 
heard  in  the  distance — "  as  still  as  a  stone  !"     And 
when  we  shall  get  on  the  other  side  the  flood,  see  the 
triumph  over  our  enemies,  and  behold  our  Master 
reigning,  this  will  form  a  part  of  our  song — that  they 
must  henceforth  be  "  as  still  as  a  stone."     There  will 
be  a  hell,  but  it  will  not  be  a  hell  of  roaring  devils, 
as  it  now  is.     They  shall  be  "  as  still  as  a  stone.^ 
There  will  be  legions  of  fallen  angels,  but  they  shall 
no  longer  have  courage  to  attack  us  or  to  defy  God : 
they  shall  be  "  as  still  as  a  stone."     Oh  !  how  grand 
will  that  soimd,  when  the  hosts  of  God's  redeemed, 
.  looking    down     on    the    demons     chained,    bound, 
silenced,  struck  dumb  with  terror,  shall  sing  exulting- 
ly   over  them  !     They  must  be  as  still  as  a   stone ; 
and  there  they  must  lie,  and  bite  their  iron  bands. 
The  fierce  despiser  of  Christ  can  no  more  spit  in  his 
face  ;  the  proud  tyrant  can  no  more  lift  his  hands  to 
oppress  the  saints ;  even  Satan  can  no  more  attempt 
to  destroy.     They  shall  be  "  as  still  as  a  stone." 

9* 


202  spuegeon's  gems. 

OH  !  who  shall  measure  the  heights  of  the  Saviour's 
all-sufficiency  ?  First,  tell  how  high  is  sin,  and, 
then,  remember  that  as  I^oah's  flood  prevailed  over 
the  tops  of  earth's  mountains,  so  the  flood  of  Christ's 
redemption  prevails  over  the  tops  of  the  mountains  of 
our  sins.  In  heaven's  courts  there  are  to-day  men 
that  once  were  murderers,  and  thieves,  and  drunk- 
ards, and  whoremongers,  and  blasphemers,  and  perse- 
cutors ;  but  they  have  been  washed — they  have  been 
sanctified.  Ask  them  whence  the  brightness  of  their 
robes  hath  come,  and  where  their  purity  hath  been 
achieved,  and  they,  with  united  breath,  tell  you  that 
they  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white 
in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 


OH !  how  did  heaven  wonder !  how  did  the  stars 
stand  still  with  astonishment !  and  how  did  the 
angels  stay  their  songs  a  moment,  when  for  the  first 
time,  God  showed  how  he  might  be  just,  and  yet  be 
gracious  !  Oh  !  I  think  I  see  heaven  astonished,  and 
silence  in  the  courts  of  God  for  the  space  of  an  hour, 
when  the  Almighty  said,  "  Sinner,  I  must  and  will 
punish  thee  on  account  of  sin !  But  I  love  thee ;  the 
bowels  of  my  love  yearn  over  thee.  How  can  I 
make  thee  as  Admah  ?  How  shall  I  set  thee  as  Ze- 
boim  ?    My  justice  says  '  smite,'  but  my  love  stays 


SPUKGEON  8    GEMS.  203 

my  hand,  and  says,  '  spare,  spare  the  sinner !'  Oh  ! 
sinner,  my  heart  hath  devised  it ;  my  Son,  the  pure 
and  perfect,  shall  stand  in  thy  stead,  and  be  account- 
ed guilty,  and  thou,  the  guilty,  shall  stand  in  my 
Son's  stead  and  be  accounted  righteous!"  It  would 
make  us  leap  upon  our  feet  in  astonishment  if  we  did 
but  understand  this  thoroughly — the  wonderful  mys- 
tery of  the  transposition  of  Christ  and  the  sinner. 


■•»•■ 


CHRIST  longed  for  the  cross,  because  he  looked 
for  it  as  the  goal  of  all  his  exertions.  He  could 
never  say  "It  is  finished"  on  his  throne:  but  on  his 
cross  he  did  cry  it.  He  preferred  the  sufferings  of  Cal- 
vary to  the  honors  of  the  multitude  who  crowded  round 
about  him  ;  for,  preach  as  he  might,  and  bless  them 
as  he  might,  and  heal  them  as  he  might,  still  was  his 
work  undone.  He  was  straitened;  he  had  a  bap- 
tism to  be  baptized  with,  and  how  was  he  strait- 
ened till  it  was  accomj)lished.  "  But,"  he  said,  "  now 
I  pant  for  my  cross,  for  it  is  the  topstone  of  my  labor. 
I  long  for  my  sufferings,  because  they  shall  be  the 
completion  of  my  great  work  of  grace."  It  is  the 
end  that  bringeth  the  honor ;  it  is  the  victory  that 
crowneth  the  warrior  rather  than  the  battle.  And 
so  Christ  longed  for  this,  his  death,  that  he  might  see 
the  completion  of  his  labor. 


204  spurgeon's  gems. 

SOMETIMES,  right  solemnlj,  the  sacred  mysteries 
of  eternal  wrath  must  be  preached,  but  far  oftener 
let  us  preach  the  wondrous  love  of  God.  There  are 
more  souls  won  by  wooing  than  by  threatening.  It 
is  not  hell,  but  Christ,  we  desire  to  preach,  O  sin- 
ners, we  are  not  afraid  to  tell  you  of  your  doom,  but 
we  do  not  choose  to  be  forever  dwelling  on  that  dole- 
ful theme.  We  rather  love  to  tell  you  of  Christ,  and 
him  crucified.  We  want  to  have  our  preaching  rather 
full  of  the  frankincense  of  the  merits  of  Christ  than 
of  the  smoke,  and  fire,. and  terrors  of  Mount  Sinai,  we 
are  not  come  unto  Mount  Sinai,  but  unto  Mount  Zion 
— ^where  milder  words  declare  the  will  of  God,  and 
rivers  of  salvation  are  abundantly  flowing. 


COME,  my  soul,  art  thou  at  peace  with  God? 
Hast  thou  seen  thy  pardon  signed  and  sealed 
with  the  Redeemer's  blood  ?  Come,  answer  this,  my 
heart ;  hast  thou  cast  thy  sins  upon  the  head  of 
Christ,  and  hast  thou  seen  them  all  washed  away  in 
the  crimson  streams  of  blood  ?  Canst  thou  feel  that 
now  there  is  a  lasting  peace  between  thyself  and 
God,  so  that  come  what  may,  God  shall  not  be 
angry  with  thee — shall  not  condemn  thee — shall  not 
consume  thee  in  his  wrath,  nor  crush  thee  in  his  hot 
displeasure  ?     If  it  be  so,  then,  my  heart,  thou  canst 


spukgeon's  gems.  205 

scarcely  need  to  stop  and  ask  the  second  question — 
Is  my  conscience  at  peace  ?  For,  if  my  heart  con- 
demn me  not,  God  is  greater  than  my  heart,  and 
doth  know  all  things ;  if  my  conscience  bears 
witness  with  me,  that  I  am  a  partaker  of  the 
precions  grace  of  salvation,  then  happy  am  I !  I  am 
one  of  those  to  whom  God  hath  given  the  peace 
w^hich  passeth  all  understanding.  Now,  why  is  this 
called  "  the  peace  of  God  ?"  We  suppose  it  is  be- 
cause it  comes  from  God — because  it  was  planned  by 
God — because  God  gave  his  Son  to  make  the  peace — 
because  God  gives  his  Spirit  to  give  the  peace  in  the 
conscience — because,  indeed,  it  is  God  himself  in  the 
soul,  reconciled  to  man,  w^hose  is  the  peace.  And 
while  it  is  true  that  this  man  shall  have  the  peace — 
even  the  Man-Christ,  yet  we  know  it  is  because  he 
was  the  God-Christ  that  he  was  our  peace.  And 
hence  we  may  clearly  perceive  how  Godhead  is 
mixed  up  with  the  ]3eace  which  we  enjoy  with  our 
Maker,  and  with  our  conscience. 


FULL  many  a  time  has  a  preacher  rendered  Scrip- 
ture dark  by  his  explanations,  instead  of  making 
it  brighter.  Many  a  preacher  has  been  like  a  painted 
window,  shutting   out  the  light,   instead  of  admit- 


ting it. 


206  bpttegeon's  gems, 

HAST  thou  never  fled  to  Christ  for  refuge  ?  Dost 
thou  not  believe  in  the  Redeemer  ?  Hast  thou 
never  confided  thy  soul  to  his  hands?  Then  hear 
me ;  in  God's  name,  hear  me  just  a  moment.  My 
friend,  I  would  not  stand  in  thy  position  for  an  hour, 
for  all  the  stars  twice  spelt  in  gold  !  For  what  is  thy 
position  ?  Thou  hast  sinned,  and  God  will  not  acquit 
thee  ;  he  will  punish  thee.  He  is  letting  thee  live ; 
thou  art  reprieved.  Poor  is  the  life  of  one  that  is 
reprieved  without  a  pardon  !  Thy  reprieve  will  soon 
run  out ;  thine  hour-glass  is  emptying  every  day.  I 
see  on  some  of  you  death  has  put  his  cold  hand,  and 
frozen  your  hair  to  whiteness.  Ye  need  your  staff, 
it  is  the  only  barrier  between  you  and  the  grave 
now ;  and  you  are,  all  of  you,  old  and  young,  stand- 
ing on  a  narrow  neck  of  land,  between  two  bound- 
less seas — that  neck  of  land,  that  isthmus  of  life, 
narrowing  every  moment,  and  you  are  yet  unpar- 
doned. There  is  a  city  to  be  sacked,  and  you  are  in 
it — soldiers  are  at  the  gates ;  the  command  is  given 
that  every  man  in  the  city  is  to  be  slaughtered  save 
he  who  can  give  the  password.  ."  Sleep  on,  sleep  on  ; 
the  attack  is  not  to-day;  sleep  on,  sleep  on."     "  But 

it  is  to-morrow,  sir."     "  Aye,  sleep  on,  sleep  on ;  it  is 

• 

not  till  to-morrow ;  sleep  on,  procrastinate,  procrasti- 
nate." "  Hark !  I  hear  a  rumbling  at  the  gates ;  the 
battering  ram  is  at  them ;  the  gates  are  tottering." 


spurgeon's  gems.  207 

"  Sleep  on,  sleep  on ;  the  soldiers  are  not  yet  at  your 
doors ;  sleep  on,  sleep  on ;  ask  for  no  mercy  yet ; 
sleep  on,  sleep  on !"  "Aye,  but  I  liear  the  shrill  cla- 
rion sound ;  they  are  in  the  streets.  Hark,  to  the 
shrieks  of  men  and  ^""omen  !  Tliey  are  slaughtering 
them ;  they  fall,  they  fall,  they  fall !"  "  Sleep  on  ; 
they  are  not  yet  at  your  door."  "  But  hark !  they  are 
at  the  gate ;  with  heavy  tramp  I  hear  the  soldiers 
marching  up  the  stairs  !"  "  ^ay,  sleep  on,  sleep  on ; 
they  are  not  yet  in  your  room."  "  Why,  they  are 
there ;  they  have  burst  open  the  door  that  parted  you 
from  them,  and  there  they  stand !"  "  Ko,  sleep  on, 
sleep  on ;  the  sword  is  not  yet  at  your  throat ;  sleep 
on,  sleep  on  !"  It  is  at  your  throat ;  you  start  with 
horror.  Sleep  on,  sleep  on  !  But  you  are  gone ! 
"Demon,  why  didst  thou  tell  me  to  slumber!  It 
would  have  been  wise  in  me  to  have  escaped  the  city 
when  first  the  gates  were  shaken.  "Why  did  I  not 
ask  for  the  password  before  the  troops  came  ?  Why, 
by  all  that  is  wise,  why  did  I  not  rush  into  the 
streets,  and  cry  the  password  when  the  soldiers  were 
there  ?  Why  stood  I  till  the  knife  was  at  my  throat  ? 
Aye,  demon  that  thou  art,  be  cursed  ;  but  I  am  cursed 
with  thee  forever  !"  You  know  the  application  ;  it 
is  a  parable  you  can  all  expound ;  ye  need  not  that  I 
should  tell  you  that  death  is  after  you,  that  justice 
must  devour  you,  that  Christ  crucified  is  the  only 


208  spuegeon's  gems. 

password  that  can  save  jou ;  and  yet  jou  have  not 
learnt  it — that  with  some  of  you  death  is  neariDg, 
nearing,  nearing,  and  that  with  all  of  yon  he  is  close 
at  hand !  I  need  not  expound  how  Satan  is  the  de- 
mon, how  in  hell  you  shall  curse  him  and  curse  your- 
selves because  you  procrastinated — ^how  that  seeing 
God  was  slow  to  anger  you  were  slow  to  repent- 
ance— ^how,  because  he  was  great  in  power,  and 
kept  back  his  anger,  therefore  you  kept  back  your 
steps  from  seeking  him ;  and  here  you  are  what  you 
are! 


VORKS  of  art  require  some  education  in  the 
beholder,  before  they  can  be  thoroughly  ap- 
preciated. We  do  not  expect  that  the  uninstructed 
should  at  once  perceive  the  varied  excellences  of  a 
painting  from  some  master  hand ;  we  do  not  imagine 
that  the  superlative  glories  of  the  harmonies  of  the 
Princes  of  Song  will  enrapture  the  ears  of  clownish 
listeners.  There  must  be  something  in  the  man  him- 
self, before  he  can  understand  the  wonders  either  of 
nature  or  of  art.  Certainly  this  is  true  of  character. 
By  reason  of  failures  in  our  character  and  faults  in 
our  life,  we  are  not  capable  of  understanding  all 
the  separate  beauties,  and  the  united  perfection  of 
the  character  of  Christ,  or  of  God,  his  Father.  Were 
we  ourselves  as  pure  as  the  angels  in  heaven,  were 


spurgeon's  gems.  209 

we  what  our  race  once  was  in  the  garden  of  Eden 
immaculate  and  perfect,  it  is  qnite  certain  that  we 
should  have  a  far  better  and  nobler  idea  of  the  char- 
acter of  God  than  we  can  by  possibility  attain  unto 
in  our  fallen  state.     But  you  cannot  fail  to  notice, 
that  men,  through  the  alienation  of  their  natures,  are 
continually  misrepresenting  God,  because  they  can- 
not appreciate  his  perfection.     Does  God  at  one  time 
withhold  his  hand  from  wrath  ?    "Lo,  they  say  that 
God  hath  ceased  to  judg^  the  world,  and  looks  upon 
it  with  listless,  phlegmatic  indifference.     Does  he  at 
another  time  punish  the  world  for  sin  ?     Tliey  say  he 
is  severe  and  cruel.     Men  will  misunderstand  him, 
because  they  are  imperfect  themselves,  and  are  not 
capable  of  admiring  the  character  of  God. 


•  •  • 


nnilE  cross  of  Christ  is  Christ's  glory.  Man  seeks 
J-  to  win  his  glory  by  the  slaughter  of  others- 
Christ  by  the  slaughter  of  himself:  men  seek  to  get 
crowns  of  gold— he  sought  a  crown  of  thorns  :  men 
think  that  glory  lieth  in  being  exalted  over  others — 
Christ  thought  that  his  glory  did  lie  in  becoming  "  a 
worm  and  no  man,"  a  scoff  and  reproach  amongst  all 
that  beheld  him.  He  stooped  when  he  conquered; 
and  he  counted  that  the  glory  lay  as  much  in  the 
stooping  as  in  the  conquest. 


210  SPURGEON^   GEMS. 

IF  kingdoms  should  go  to  rack  the  Christian 
need  not  tremble.  Just  for  a  minute  imagine  a 
scene  like  this.  Suppose  for  the  next  three  days  the 
sun  should  not  rise ;  suppose  the  moon  should  be 
turned  into  a  clot  of  blood,  and  shine  no  more  upon 
the  world ;  imagine  that  a  darkness  that  might  be  felt, 
brooded  over  all  men ;  imagine  next  that  all  the  world 
did  tremble  in  an  earthquake  till  every  tower  and 
house  and  hut  fell  down :  imagine  next  that  the  sea 
forgot  its  place  and  leaped  upon  the  earth,  and  that 
the  mountains  ceased  to  stand,  and,  began  to  trem- 
ble from  their  pedestals ;  conceive  after  that  a  blaz  ■ 
ing  comet  streamed  across  the  sky — that  the  thun- 
der bellowed  incessantly — that  the  lightnings  without 
a  moment's  pause  followed  one  the  other ;  conceive 
then  that  thou  didst  behold  divers  terrible  sights, 
fiendish  ghosts  and  grim  spirits  ;  imagine  next,  that  a 
trumpet,  waxing  exceeding  loud,  did  blow ;  that  there 
were  heard  the  shrieks  of  men  dying  and  perishing ; 
imagine,  that  in  the  midst  of  all  this  confusion  there 
was  to  be  found  a  saint.  My  friend,  "  Jesus  Christ 
the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever,"  would  keep 
him  as  secure  amidst  all  these  horrors  as  we  are  to- 
day. Oh  !  rejoice !  I  have  pictured  the  worst  that 
can  come.  Then  you  would  be  secure.  Come  what 
may  then,  you  are  safe,  while  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
Bame. 


spuegeon's  gems.  211 

COMLN'G  to  Christ  is  just  the  one  essential  thing 
for  a  sinner's  salvation.  He  that  cometh  not  to 
Christ,  do  what  he  may,  or  think  what  he  may,  is 
yet  in  "  the  gall  of  bitterness  and  in  the  bonds  of 
iniquity."  Coming  to  Christ  is  the  very  first  effect 
of  regeneration.  "No  sooner  is  the  soul  quickened 
than  it  at  once  discovers  its  lost  estate,  is  horrified 
thereat,  looks  out  for  a  refuge,  and  believing  Christ 
to  be  a  suitable  one,  files  to  him  and  reposes  in  him. 
Where  there  is  not  this  coming  to  Christ,  it  is  certain 
that  there  is  as  yet  no  quickening ;  where  there  is  no 
quickening,  the  soul  is  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins, 
and  being  dead  it  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven. 


SINKER,  unconverted  sinner,  thou  hast  often  tried 
to  save  thyself;  but  thou  hast  often  failed. 
Thou  hast,  by  thine  own  power  and  might,  sought  to 
curb  thy  evil  passions  and  licentious  desires ;  with 
thee,  I  lament  that  all  thine  efforts  have  been  unsuc- 
cessful. And  I  warn  thee,  it  will  be  unsuccessful, 
for  thou  never  canst  by  thine  own  might  save  thy- 
self;  with  all  the  strength  thou  hast,  thou  never 
canst  regenerate  thine  own  soul;  thou  canst  never 
cause  thyself  to  be  born  again.  And  though  the 
new  birth  is  absolutely  necessary,  it  is  absolutely 
impossible  to  thee,  unless  God  the  Spiri  shall  do  it. 


212  spurgeon's  gems.  • 

WHEN  man  fell  in  the  garden,  manhood  fell  en- 
tirely ;  there  was  not  one  single  pillar  in  the 
temple  of  manhood  that  stood  erect.  It  is  true, 
conscience  was  not  destroyed.  Tlie  pillar  was  not 
shattered ;  it  fell,  and  it  fell  in  one  piece,  and  there 
it  lies  along,  the  mightiest  remnant  of  God's  once 
perfect  work  in  man.  But  that  conscience  is  fallen, 
I  am  sure.  Look  at  men.  Who  among  them  is  the 
possessor  of  a  "  good  conscience  toward  God,"  but 
the  regenerated  man?  Do  you  imagine  that  if 
men's  consciences  always  spoke  loudly  and  clearly 
to  them,  they  would  live  in  the  daily  commission  of 
acts,  which  are  as  opposed  to  the  right  as  darkness 
to  light  ?  'No,  beloved ;  conscience  can  tell  me  that  I 
am  a  sinner,  but  conscience  cannot  make  me  feel  that 
I  am  one.  Conscience  may  tell  me  that  such  and 
such  a  thing  is  wrong,  but  how  wrong  it  is  con- 
science itself  does  not  know.  Did  any  man's  con- 
science, unenlightened  by  the  Spirit,  ever  tell  him 
that  his  sins  deserved  damnation  ?  Or  if  conscience 
did  do  that,  did  it  ever  lead  any  man  to  feel  an  abhor- 
rence of  sin  as  sin  ?  In  fact,  did  conscience  ever 
bring  a  man  to  such  a  self-renunciation,  that  he  did 
totally  ablior  himself  and  all  his  works  and  come  to 
Christ  ?  1^0,  conscience,  although  it  is  not  dead,  is 
ruined,  its  power  is  impaired,  it  hath  not  that  clear- 
ness of  eye  and  that  strength  of  hand,  and  that  tliun- 


spukgeon's  gems.  213 

der  of  voice,  which  it  had  before  the  fall ;  but  hath 
ceased  to  a  great  degree,  to  exert  its  supremacy  in 
the  town  of  Mansoul.  Then,  beloved,  it  becomes 
necessary  for  this  very  reason,  because  conscience  is 
depraved,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  should  step  in,  to 
show  us  our  need  of  a  Saviour,  and  draw  us  to  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ! 


•  »• 


PRAYEE  is  the  certain  forerunner  of  salvation. 
Sinner,  thou  canst  not  pray  and  perish  ;  prayer 
and  perishing  are  two  things  that  never  go  together. 
I  ask  you  not  what  your  prayer  is ;  it  may  be  a  groan, 
it  may  be  a  tear,  a  worldless  prayer,  or  a  prayer  in 
broken  English,  ungrammatical  and  harsh  to  the  ear : 
but  if  it  be  a  prayer  from  the  inmost  heart,  thou  shalt 
be  saved  ;  or  else  this  promise  is  a  lie.  As  surely  as 
thou  prayest,  whoever  thou  mayest  be,  whatever  thy 
past  life,  whatever  the  transgressions  in  which  thou 
hast  indulged,  though  they  be  the  foulest  which  pol- 
lute mankind,  yet  if  from  thine  heart  thou  has  learned 
to  pray — 

"  Prayer  is  the  breath  of  God  in  man, 
Keturning  whence  it  came" — 

And  thou  canst  not  perish  with  God's  breath  in  thee. 
"  Whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord 
shall  be  saved !" 


214  BPURGEONS   GEMS. 

i^  TTlEAR  not,  thou  worm  Jacob,  and  ye  men  of 

JL    Israel ;  I  will  lielp  thee."     Come,  bring  your 

fears  out  to-night,  and  serve  them  in  the  worst  way 

you  can.     Hang  them  here  upon  the  scaffold.    Come 

now,  and  blow  them  away  at  the  great  guns  of  the 

promises,  let  them  be  destroyed  forever.     They  are 

renegade  mutineers ;  let  them  be  cut  off,  let  them  be 

utterly  destroyed,  and  let  us  go  and  sing,  "  Therefore 

will  we  not  fear,  though  the  earth  be  removed,  and 

though  the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst  of 

the   sea;    though  the  waters   thereof  roar   and  be 

troubled,    though    the    mountains    shake   with    the 

swelling  thereof."      "I  will  help   thee,^^   saith  the 

Redeemer. 

— > » • 

• 

LEAEE"  to  look  upon  God  as  being  as  severe  in  his 
justice  as  if  he  were  not  loving,  and  yet  as  loving 
as  if  he  were  not  severe.  His  love  does  not  diminish 
his  justice,  nor  does  his  justice,  in  the  least  degree, 
make  warfare  upon  his  love.  '  The  two  things  are 
sweetly  linked  together  in  the  atonement  of  Christ. 
But,  mark,  we  can  never  understand  the  fullness  of 
the  atonement  till  we  have  first  grasped  the  Scriptural 
truth  of  God's  immense  justice.  There  was  never  an 
ill  word  spoken,  nor  an  ill  thought  conceived,  nor  an 
evil  deed  done,  for  which  God  will  not  have  punish- 
ment from  some  one  or  another.     He  will  either  have 


spurgeon's  gems.  215 

satisfaction  from  jou,  or  else  from  Christ.     If  you 

have  no   atonement   to   bring  through   Christ,  you 

must  forever  lie  paying  the  debt  which  you  never 

can  pay,  in  eternal  misery ;  for  as  surely  as  God  is 

God,  he  will  sooner  lose  his  Godhead  than  suffer  one 

sin  to  go  unpunished,  or  one  particle  of  rebellion 

unrevenged. 

— •-•-• — 

WHAT  would  her  Majesty  think  of  her  soldiers,  if 
they  should  swear  they  were  loyal  and  true,  and 
were  to  say — "  Your  Majesty,  we  prefer  not  to  wear 
these  regimentals  ;  let  us  wear  the  dress  of  civilians  ! 
We  are  right  honest  men  and  upright ;  but  do  not 
care  to  stand  in  your  ranks,  acknowledged  as  your 
soldiers ;  we  had  rather  slink  into  the  enemy's  camp, 
and  into  your  camps  too,  and  not  wear  anything  that 
would  mark  us  as  being  your  soldiers  !"  Ah  !  some 
of  you  do  the  same  with  Christ.  You  are  going  to 
be  secret  Christians,  are  you,  and  slink  into  the  devil's 
camp,  and  into  Christ's  camp,  but  acknowledged  by 
none  ?  Well,  ye  must  take  the  chance  of  it,  if  ye 
will  be  so  ;  but  I  should  not  like  to  risk  it.  It  is  a 
solemn  threatening,  "  of  him  will  I  be  ashamed  when 
I  come  in  the  glory  of  my  Father,  and  all  his  holy 
angels  with  me !"  It  is  a  solemn  thing,  I  say,  when 
Christ  says,  "  Except  a  man  take  up  his  cross  and  fol- 
low me,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple." 


216  spuegeon's  gems. 

THE  common  habit  witli  tlie  harlot  or  the  profli- 
gate, is  to  drive  them  out  of  society  as  a  curse. 
It  is  not  right,  it  is  not  Christian-like.  We  are  bound 
to  love  even  sinners,  and  not  to  drive  them  from  tlie 
land  of  hope,  but  seek  to  reclaim  even  these.  Is  a 
man  a  rogue,  a  thief,  or  a  liar?  I  cannot  love  his 
roguery,  or  I  should  be  a  rogue  myself.  I  cannot 
love  his  lying,  or  I  should  be  untrue;  but  I  am 
bound  to  love  Mm  still,  and  even  though  I  am 
wronged  by  him,  yet  I  must  not  harbor  one  vindict- 
ive feeling,  but  as  I  would  desire  God  to  forgive  me, 
so  I  must  forgive  him.  And  if  he  so  sins  against  the 
law  of  the  land,  that  he  is  to  be  punished  (and  rightly 
so),  I  am  to  love  him  in  the  punishment ;  for  I  am 
not  to  condemn  him  to  imprisonment  vindictively, 
but  I  am  to  do  it  for  his  good,  that  he  may  be  led  to 
repent  through  the  punishment ;  I  am  to  give  him 
such  a  measure  of  punishment  as  shall  be  adequate, 
not  as  an  atonement  for  his  crime,  but  to  teach  him 
the  evil  of  it,  and  induce  him  to  forsake  it.  But  let 
me  condemn  him  with  a  tear  in  my  eye,  because  I 
love  him  still.  And  let  me,  when  he  is  thrust  into 
prison,  take  care  that  all  his  keepers  attend  to  him 
with  kindness,  and  although  there  be  a  necessity  for 
sternness  and  severity  in  prison  discipline,  let  it  not 
go  too  far,  lest  it  merge  into  cruelty,  and  become 
wanton,  instead  of  useful.     I  am  bound  to  love  him, 


sphrgeon's  gems.  217 

though  he  be  sunken  in  vice  and  degraded.  The  law 
knows  of  no  exception.  It  claims  mj  love  for  him. 
I  must  love  him.  I  am  not  bound  to  take  him  to  mj 
house ;  I  am  not  bound  to  treat  him  as  one  of  mj 
family.  There  may  be  some  acts  of  kindness  which 
would  be  imprudent,  seeing  that  by  doing  them  I 
might  ruin  others  and  reward  vice,  I  am  bound  to 
set  mj/ace  against  him,  as  I  am  just,  but  I  feel  I 
ought  not  to  set  my  heart  against  him,  for  he  is  my 
brother-man,  and  though  the  devil  has  besmeared  his 
face,  and  spits  his  venom  in  his  mouth,  so  that  when 
lie  speaks  he  speaks  in  oaths,  and  when  he  walks,  his 
feet  are  swift  to  shed  blood,  yet  he  is  a  man,  and  as 
a  man  he  is  my  brother,  and  as  a  brother  I  am  bound 
to  love  him,  and  if  by  stooj)ing  I  can  lift  him  up  to 
something  like  moral  dignity,  I  am  wrong  if  I  do  not 
do  it,  for  I  am  bound  to  love  him  as  I  love  myself. 


•  0  • 


THEKE  are  a  class  of  men  who  are  a  great  deal 
nobler  than  the  herd  of  simpletons  who  allow  the 
sublimities  of  the  Godhead  to  be  concealed  by  their 
carking  care  for  mere  sensual  good.  There  are  some 
who  do  not  forget  that  there  is  a  God ;  no,  they  are 
astronomers,  and  they  turn  their  eyes  to  heaven,  and 
they  view  the  stars,  and  they  marvel  at  the  majesty 
of  the  Creator.     Or  tliey  dig  into  the  bowels  of  the 

10 


218  spurgeon's  gems. 

earth,  and  tliej  are  astonished  at  tlie  magnificence  of 
God's  works  of  yore.  Or  they  examine  the  animal, 
and  marvel  at  the  wisdom  of  God  in  the  construction 
of  its  anatomy.  They,  whenever  they  think  of  God, 
think  of  him  with  the  deepest  awe,  with  the  pro- 
fonndest  reverence.  You  never  hear  them  curse  or 
swear:  you  will  find  that  their  souls  are  possessed  of 
a  deep  awe  of  the  great  Creator.  But  ah !  my 
friends,  this  is  not  enough :  this  is  not  obedience  to 
the  command.  God  does  not  say  thou  shalt  wonder 
at  him,  thou  shalt  have  awe  of  him.  He  asks  more 
than  that :  he  says,  "  Tliou  shalt  love  me  !" 


SUPPOSE  a  liar  says  that  it  is  not  in  his  power 
to  speak  the  truth,  that  he  has  been  a  liar  so 
long,  that  he  cannot  leave  it  off;  is  that  an  excuse 
for  him  ?  Suppose  a  man  who  has  long  indulged 
in  lust  should  tell  you  that  he  finds  his  lusts  have  so 
girt  about  him  like  a  great  iron  net  that  he  cannot 
get  rid  of  them,  would  you  take  that  as  an  excuse  ? 
Truly  it  is  none  at  all.  K  a  drunkard  has  become 
so  foully  a  drunkard,  that  he  finds  it  impossible  to 
pass  a  public-house  without  stepping  in,  do  you 
therefore  excuse  him  ?  'No,  because  his  inabilty  to 
reform  lies  in  his  nature,  which  he  has  no  desire  to 
restrain  or  conquer.      The  thing  that  is  done,  and 


spubgeon's  gems.  219 

the  tiling  that  causes  the  thing  that  is  done,  being 
both  from  the  root  of  sin,  are  two  evils  which  cannot 
excuse  each  other.  What  though  the  Ethiojjian 
cannot  change  his  skin,  nor  the  leopard  his  spots  ? 
It  is  because  you  have  learned  to  do  evil  that  you 
cannot  now  learn  to  do  well ;  and  instead,  therefore, 
of  letting  you  sit  down  to  excuse  yourselves,  let  me 
put  a  thunderbolt  beneath  the  seat  of  your  sloth, 
that  you  may  be  startled  by  it  and  aroused.  Re- 
member that  to   sit  still  is   to   be   damned  to   all 

eternity ! 

— •-»-• — 

]ET  not  your  exertions  end  in  tears ,  mere  weep- 
-^  ing  will  do  nothing  without  action.  Get  on 
your  feet ;  ye  that  have  voices  and  might,  go  forth 
and  preach  the  gospel,  preach  it  in  every  street  and 
lane  of  this  huge  city  ;  ye  that  have  wealth,  go  forth 
and  spend  it  for  the  poor,  and  sick,  and  needy,  and 
dying,  the  uneducated,  the  unenlightened ;  ye  that 
have  time,  go  forth  and  spend  it  in  deeds  of  good- 
ness ;  ye  that  have  power  in  prayer  go  forth  and 
pray ;  ye  that  can  handle  the  pen,  go  forth  and 
write  down  iniquity — every  one  to  his  post,  every 
one  of  you  to  your  gun  in  this  day  of  battle ;  now 
for  God  and  for  his  truth ;  for  God  and  for  tlie 
right ;  let  every  one  of  us  who  knows  the  Lord  seek 
to  fight  under  his  banner  ! 


220  sphrgeon's  gems. 

DEEAMS,  tlie  disordered  fabrics  of  a  wild  imagina- 
tion ;  tlie  totterings  often  of  the  fair  pillars  of  a 
grand  conception ;  how  can  they  be  the  means  of  sal- 
vation ?  Yon  know  Rowland  Hill's  good  answer ;  I 
must  quote  it  in  default  of  a  better.  "When  a  woman 
pleaded  that  she  was  saved  because  she  dreamed,  he 
said,  "  Well,  my  good  woman,  it  is  very  nice  to  have 
good  dreams  when  you  are  asleej? ;  but  I  want  to  see 
how  you  act  when  you  are  awake ;  for  if  your  con- 
duct is  not  consistent  in  religion  when  you  are  awake, 
I  will  not  give  a  snap  of  the  finger  for  your  dreams." 
Ah,  I  do  marvel  that  ever  any  person  should  go  to 
such  a  depth  of  ignorance  as  to  tell  me  the  stories 
that  I  have  heard  myself  about  dreams.  Poor  dear 
creatures,  when  they  were  sound  asleep  they  saw  the 
gates  of  heaven  opened,  and  a  white  angel  came  and 
washed  their  sins  away,  and  then  they  saw  that  they 
were  pardoned  ;  and  since  then  they  have  never  had 
a  doubt  or  a  fear.  It  is  time  that  you  should  begin 
to  doubt,  then  ;  very  good  time  that  you  should ;  for 
if  that  is  all  the  hope  you  have,  it  is  a  poor  one.  Re- 
member it  is,  ""Whosoever  calls  upon  the  name  of 
God,"  not  whosoever  dreams  about  him.  Dreams 
may  do  good.  Sometimes  people  have  been  fright- 
ened out  of  their  senses  in  them  ;  and  they  were  bet- 
ter out  of  their  senses  than  they  were  in,  for  they  did 
more  mischief  when  they  were  in  their  senses  than 


SPUEGEONS   GEMS.  221 

they  did  when  thej  were  out ;  and  the  dreams  did 
good  in  that  sense.  Some  people,  too,  have  been 
alarmed  by  dreams ;  but  to  trust  to  them  is  to  trust 
to  a  shadow,  to  build  your  hopes  on  bubbles,  scarcely 
needing  a  puff  of  wind  to  bxirst  them  into  nothing- 
ness. Oh !  remember,  you  want  no  vision,  no  mar- 
vellous apj)earance.  If  you  have  had  a  vision  or  a 
dream,  you  need  not  despise  it ;  it  may  have  bene- 
fited you ;  but  do  not  trust  to  it.  But  if  you  have 
had  none,  remember  it  is  not  the  mere  calling  upon 
God's  name  to  which  the  promise  is  appended. 


•  •  > 


THROUGH  the  fall,  and  through  our  own  sin, 
the  nature  of  man  has  become  so  debased,  and 
depraved,  and  corrupt,  that  it  is  impossible  for  him 
to  come  to  Christ  without  the  assistance  of  God  the 
Holy  Spirit.  ISTow,  in  trying  to  exhibit  how  the 
nature  of  man  thus  renders  him  unable  to  come  to 
Christ,  you  must  allow  me  just  to  take  this  figure. 
You  see  a  sheep;  how  willingly  it  feeds  upon  the 
herbage!  You  never  knew  a  sheep  sigh  after  car- 
rion ;  It  could  not  live  on  lion's  food.  ISTow  bring 
me  a  wolf;  and  you  ask  me  whether  a  wolf  cannot 
eat  grass,  whether  it  cannot  be  just  as  docile  and 
just  as  domesticated  as  the  sheep.  I  answer  ^N"© ; 
because  its  nature  is  contrary  thereunto.     You  say, 


222  spuegeon's  gems. 

"  "Well,  it  lias  ears  and  legs ;  can  it  not  hear  the 
shepherd's  voice,  and  follow  him  wheresoever  he 
leadeth  it  ?"  I  answer,  certainly,  there  is  no  phy- 
sical cause  why  it  cannot  do  so,  but  its  nature 
forbids,  and  therefore  I  say  it  cannot  do  so.  Can  it 
not  be  tamed?  cannot  its  ferocity  be  removed? 
Probably  it  may  so  far  be  subdued  that  it  may 
become  apparently  tame,  but  there  will  always  be  a 
marked  distinction  between  it  and  the  sheep,  be- 
cause there  is  a  distinction  in  nature.  !N^ow,  the 
reason  why  man  cannot  come  to  Christ,  is  not 
because  he  cannot  come,  so  far  as  his  body  or  his 
mere  power  of  mind  is  concerned,  but  because  his 
nature  is  so  corrupt  that  he  has  neither  the  will  nor 
the  power  to  come  to  Christ,  unless  drawn  by  the 
Spirit.  But  let  me  give  you  a  better  illustration. 
You  see  a  mother  with  a  babe  in  her  arms.  You 
put  a  knife  into  her  hand  and  tell  her  to  stab  that 
babe  to  the  heart.  She  replies,  and  very  truthfully, 
"  I  cannot."  ISTow,  so  far  as  her  bodily  power  is 
concerned,  she  can,  if  she  pleases ;  there  is  the  knife, 
and  there  is  the  child.  The  child  cannot  resist,  and 
she  has  quite  sufficient  strength  in  her  hand  imme- 
diately to  stab  it  to  its  heart.  But  she  is  quite  cor- 
rect when  she  says  she  cannot  do  it.  As  a  mere  act 
of  the  mind,  it  is  quite  possible  she  might  think  of 
such  a  thing  as  killing  the  child,  and  yet  she  says 


spitrgeon's  gems.  223 

she  cannot  tliink  of  such  a  thing  ;  and  she  does  not 
say  falsely,  for  her  nature  as  a  mother  forbids  her 
doing  a  thing  from  which  her  soul  revolts.  Simply 
because  she  is  that  child's  parent  she  feels  she  cannot 
kill  it.  It  is  even  so  with  a  sinner.  Coming  to 
Christ  is  so  obnoxious  to  human  nature  that, 
although,  so  far  as  physical  and  mental  forces  are 
concerned  (and  these  have  but  a  very  narrow  sphere 
in  salvation)  men  could  come  if  they  would;  it  is 
strictly  correct  to  say  that  they  cannot  and  will  not 
unless  the  Father  who  hath  sent  Christ  doth  draw 
them. 


YOU  who  have  never  meditated  on  Jesus  Christ — 
what  do  you  think  shall  become  of  you  when 
your  bitterness  shall  be  in  your  mouth  ?  When  you 
taste  death,  how  do  you  hope  to  destroy  its  ill  flavor  ? 
Yet  "  that  last,  that  bitter  cup  which  mortal  man  can 
taste,"  is  but  a  dire  presentiment.  When  you  have 
to  drink  that  gall  in  hell  forever — when  the  cup  of 
torments  which  Jesus  did  not  drain  for  you  will  have 
to  be  drained  by  yourself — what  will  you  do  then  ? 
Tlie  Christian  can  go  to  heaven,  because  Christ  has 
drunk  destruction  dry  for  him  ;  but  the  ungodly  and 
unconverted  man  will  have  to  drink  the  dregs  of  the 
wine  of  Gomorrah.  What  will  you  do  then  ?  The 
first  drops  are  bad  enough,  when  you  sip  here  the 


224  spukgeon's  gems. 

drops  of  remorse  on  account  of  sin ;  but  that  future 
cup  in  hell — that  terrific  mixture  which  God  deals 
out  to  the  lost  in  the  pit — what  will  jou  do  when 
you  have  to  drink  that  ?  when  your  meditation  will 
be,  that  you  rejected  Jesus,  that  you  despised  his 
Gospel,  that  you  scoffed  at  his  word?  What  will  you 
do  in  that  dread  extremity  ? 


•  •• 


IF  this  night,  ere  you  rest,  you  could  say  that  with 
God,  as  well  as  all  the  world,  you  are  at  peace, 
you  may  go  out  to-morrow,  and  whatever  your  busi- 
ness, I  am  not  afraid  for  you.  You  are  more  than  a 
match  for  all  the  temptations  to  false  doctrine,  to 
false  living,  or  to  false  speech  that  may  meet  you. 
For  he  that  has  peace  with  God  is  armed  cap-d-^ie  / 
he  is  covered  from  head  to  foot  in  a  panoply.  The 
arrow  may  fly  against  it,  but  it  cannot  pierce  it,  for 
peace  with  God  is  a  mail  so  strong  that  the  broad 
sword  of  Satan  itself  may  be  broken  in  twain  ere 
it  can  pierce  the  flesh.  Oh!  take  care  that  you 
are  at  peace  with  God ;  for,  if  you  are  not,  you 
ride  forth  to  to-morrow's  fight  unarmed,  naked ;  and 
God  help  the  man  that  is  unarmed  when  he  has  to 
fight  with  hell  and  earth.  Oh,  be  not  foolish,  but 
"  put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,"  and  then  be  con- 
fident, for  you  need  not  fear. 


spuegeon's  gems.  225 

THE  whole  world  was  drowned  except  those  happy 
ones  who  were  found  in  the  ark.  Tlie  miglitlest 
beast  and  the  tiniest  insect,  the  stately  elephant  and 
the  loathsome  reptile,  the  fleet  horse  and  the  creep- 
ing snail,  the  graceful  antelope  and  the  ugly  toad — 
every  living  substance  that  was  upon  the  face  of  the 
ground  was  involved  in  one  common  doom,  save 
those  only  who  were  preserved  alive  in  the  ark.  The 
noblest  animals,  endowed  with  the  finest  instincts, 
were  all  drowned,  despite  their  powers  of  swimming 
(if  they  were  not  fish),  save  those  only  who  were 
sheltered  in  the  ark.  The  strongest  winged  fowls 
that  ever  cut  the  air  were  all  wearied  in  their  flio^ht 
and  fell  into  the  water,  save  those  only  who  were 
housed  in  the  ark.  The  proudest  tenants  of  the  for- 
est, those  who  ranged  fearlessly  in  the  broad  light 
of  day,  or  those  who  prowled  stealthily  under  the 
cover  of  night,  the  strongest,  the  mightiest,  all  were 
swallowed  up  in  the  vast  abyss,  save  those  only  who 
were  commanded  by  God  to  hide  themselves  within 
the  shelter  of  the  ark.  Even  so,  there  is  only  one 
way  of  salvation  for  all  men  living  under  heaven. 
There  is  only  one  name  whereby  they  can  be  saved. 
"Wouldst  thou  be  saved,  rich  man  ?  There  is  no  way 
but  that  whereby  the  poverty-stricken  pauper  is  also 
to  be  saved.  "Wouldst  thou  be  delivered,  thou  man 
of  intelligence  ?    Thou  shalt  be  saved  in  the  same 

10* 


226  spijrgeon's  gems. 

way  as  the  most  ignorant.  There  is  none  other  name 
under  heaven  given  among  men  whereby  we  must 
be  saved,  but  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified.  There 
were  not  two  arks,  but  one  ark  :  so  there  are  not  two 
Saviours,  but  one  Saviour.  There  was  no  other 
means  of  salvation  except  the  ark:  so  there  is  no 
plan  of  deliverance  except  by  Jesus  Christ,  the  Sa- 
viour of  sinners.  In  vain  you  climb  the  lofty  top  of 
Sinai:  fifteen  cubits  upwards  shall  the  waters  pre- 
vail. In  vain  you  climb  to  the  highest  pinnacles  of 
your  self-conceit  and  your  worldly  merit :  ye  shall  be 
drowned — drowned  beyond  the  hope  of  salvation; 
for  "  other  foundations  can  no  man  lay  than  that 
which  is  laid — Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified." 


THE  first  thing  the  Holy  Spirit  does  when  he 
comes  into  a  man's  heart  is  this :  he  finds  him 
with  a  very  good  opinion  of  himself:  and  there  is 
nothing  which  prevents  a  man  coming  to  Christ  like 
a  good  opinion  of  himself.  Why,  says  man,  "I 
don't  want  to  come  to  Christ.  I  have  as  good  a 
righteousness  as  anybody  can  desire.  I  feel  I  can 
walk  into  heaven  on  my  own  rights."  Tlie  Holy 
Spirit  lays  bare  his  heart,  lets  him  see  the  loathsome 
cancer  that  is  there  eating  away  his  life,  uncovers  to 
Jiim  all  the  blackness  and  defilement  of  that  sink  of 


spurgeon's  gems.  227 

hell,  tlie  human  heart,  and  then   the  man  stands 
aghast.     "I  never  thought  I  was  like  this.     Oh! 
those  sins  I  thought  were  little,  have  swelled  out  to 
an  immense  stature.     "What  I  thought  was  a  mole- 
hill, has   grown  into   a  mountain ;   it  was  but  the 
hyssop  on  the  wall  before,  but  now  it  has  become  a 
cedar  of  Lebanon.     Oh,"  saith  the  man  within  him- 
self, "  I  will  try  and  reform  ;  I  will  do  good  deeds 
enough  to  wash  these  black  deeds  out."    Then  comes 
the  Holy  Spirit  and  shows  him  that  he  cannot  do 
this,  takes  away  all  his  fancied  power  and  strength, 
so  that  the  man  falls  down  on  his  knees  in  agony 
and  cries,  "  Oh !  once  I  thought  I  could  save  myself 
by  my  good  works,  but  now  I  find  that 

'  Could  my  tears  forever  flow, 
Could  my  zeal  no  respite  know, 
All  for  sin  could  not  atone. 
Thou  must  save  and  thou  alone.' " 

Then  the  heart  sinks,  and  the  man  is  ready  to  de- 
spair. And  saith  he,  "  I  never  can  be  saved. 
I^othing  can  save  me."  Tlien  comes  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  shows  the  sinner  the  cross  of  Christ, 
gives  him  eyes  anointed  with  heavenly  eye-salve, 
and  says,  "  Look  to  yonder  cross,  that  man  died  to 
save  sinners ;  you  feel  that  you  are  a  sinner ;  he  died 
to  save  you."     And  he  enables  the  heart  to  believe, 


228  SPTJEGEON  S   GEMS. 

and  to  come  to  Christ.  And  wlien  it  comes  to 
Christ,  by  this  sweet  drawing  of  the  Spirit,  it  finds 
"  a  peace  with  God  which  passeth  all  understanding, 
which  keeps  his  heart  and  mind  through  Jesns 
Christ  our  Lord."  iJ^ow,  you  will  plainly  perceive 
tliat  all  this  may  be  done  without  any  compulsion. 
Man  is  as  much  drawn  willingly,  as  if  he  were  not 
drawn  at  all ;  and  he  comes  to  Christ  with  full  con- 
sent, with  as  full  a  consent  as  if  no  secret  influence 
had  ever  been  exercised  in  his  heart.  But  that  in- 
fluence must  be  exercised,  or  else  there  never  has 
been  and  there  never  will  be,  any  man  who  either 
can  or  will  come  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Chiist. 


♦  ♦  > 


AYAUl^T,  Satan  !  While  I  am  at  peace  with  God, 
I  am  a  match  for  all  thy  temptations.  Thou 
ofl'erest  me  silver;  I  have  gold.  Thou  bringest 
before  me  the  riches  of  the  earth ;  I  have  something 
more  substantial  than  these.  Avaunt,  tempter  of 
human  kind !  Avaunt,  thou  fiend !  Your  tempta- 
tions and  blandishments  are  lost  on  one  who  has 
peace  with  God.  This  peace,  too,  will  keep  the 
heart  undivided.  He  who  has  peace  with  God  will 
set  his  whole  heart  on  God.  "  Oh!"  says  he,  "why 
should  I  go  to  seek  anything  else  on  earth,  now  that 
I  have  found  my  rest  in  God  ?     As  the  bird  by  wan- 


spuegeon's  gems.  229 

dering,  so  should  I  be  if  I  went  elsewhere.  I  have 
found  a  fountain ;  why  should  I  go  and  drink  at  the 
broken  cistern  that  will  hold  no  water  ?  I  lean  on 
the  arm  of  my  beloved;  why  should  I  rest  on  the 
arm  of  another?  I  know  that  religion  is  a  thing 
worth  my  following ;  why  should  I  leave  the  pure 
snows  of  Lebanon  to  follow  something  else  ?  I  know 
and  feel  that  religion  is  rich  when  it  brings  forth 
to  me  a  hundred-fold  the  fruits  of  peace;  why 
should  I  go  and  sow  elsewhere  ?  I  will  be  like  the 
maiden  Kuth,  I  will  stop  in  the  fields  of  Boaz.  Here 
I  will  ever  stay  and  never  wander." 


THE  wrath  of  man  shall  praise  God.  I  believe  the 
last  song  of  the  redeemed,  when  they  shall  ulti- 
mately triumph,  will  celebrate  in  heavenly  stanzas 
the  wrath  of  man  overcome  by  God.  Sometimes 
after  great  battles,  monuments  are  raised  to  the 
memory  of  the  fight ;  and  of  what  are  they  composed  ? 
They  are  composed  of  weapons  of  death  and  of  instru- 
ments of  war  which  have  been  taken  from  the  enemy. 
IsTow,  to  use  that  illustration  as  I  think  it  may  be 
properly  used,  the  day  is  coming  when  fury,  and 
wrath,  and  hatred,  and  strife,  shall  all  be  woven  into 
a  song ;  and  the  weapons  of  our  enemies,  when  taken 
from  them,  shall  serve  to  make  monuments  to  the 


230  spuegeon's  gems. 

praise  of  God.  Rail  on,  rail  on,  blaspliemer  !  Smite 
on,  smite  on,  tyrant !  Lift  thy  heavy  hand,  O  despot ; 
crush  the  truth,  which  thou  canst  not  crush ;  knock 
from  his  head  the  crown — ^the  crown  that  is  far  above 
thy  reach — ^poor  puny  impotent  mortal  as  thou  art! 
Go  on,  go  on  !  But  all  thou  doest  shall  but  increase 
his  glories.  For  aught  we  care,  we  bid  you  still  pro- 
ceed with  all  your  wrath  and  malice.  Though  it 
shall  be  worse  for  you,  it  shall  be  more  glorious  for 
our  Master ;  the  greater  your  preparations  for  war, 
the  more  splendid  shall  be  his  triumphal  chariot, 
when  he  shall  ride  through  the  streets  of  heaven  in 
pompous  array.  The  more  mighty  your  preparations 
for  battle,  the  more  rich  the  spoil  which  he  shall 
divide  with  the  strong.  O  Christian,  fear  not  the 
foe  !  Remember  the  harder  his  blows,  the  sweeter 
thy  song ;  the  greater  his  wrath,  the  more  splendid 
thy  triumph ;  the  more  he  rages,  the  more  shall 
Christ  be  honored  in  the  day  of  his  appearing. 


IT  is  better  to  be  cheated  sometimes  ourselves  than 
that  we  should  cheat  others ;  and  it  is  cheating 
others  to  suspect  those  on  whose  characters  there 
resteth  no  suspicion.  We  acknowledge  such  morality 
among  men,  but  we  act  not  so  towards  God;  we 
believe  any  liar  sooner  than  we  believe  him. 


sptjrgeon's  gems.  231 

I  WILL  tiel'p  thee.  Tliat  is  very  little  for  me  to 
do,  to  help  tliee.  Consider  what  I  have  done 
already.  What!  not  help  thee?  Why,  I  bought 
thee  with  my  blood.  What !  not  help  thee  ?  I  have 
died  for  thee ;  and  if  I  hava  done  the  greater,  will  I 
not  do  the  less  ?  Help  thee,  my  beloved !  It  is  the 
least  thing  I  will  ever  do  for  thee.  I  have  done 
more,  and  I  will  do  more.  Before  the  day-star  first 
began  to  shine  I  chose  thee.  "  I  will  help  thee."  I 
made  the  covenant  for  thee,  and  exercised  all  the 
wisdom  of  my  eternal  mind  in  the  scheming  of  the 
plan  of  salvation.  "  I  will  help  thee."  I  became  a 
man  for  thee  ;  I  doffed  my  diadem,  and  laid  aside 
my  robe ;  I  laid  the  purple  of  the  universe  aside  to 
become  a  man  for  thee.  If  I  did  this,  I  will  help 
thee.  I  gave  my  life,  my  soul,  for  thee  ;  I  slumbered 
in  the  grave,- 1  descended  into  Hades,  all  for  thee ;  I 
will  help  thee.  It  will  cost  me  nothing.  Redeem- 
ing thee  cost  me  much,  but  I  have  all  and  abound. 
In  helping  thee,  I  am  giving  thee  what  I  have 
bought  for  thee  already.  It  is  no  new  thing.  I  can 
do  it  easily.  "  Help  thee  ?"  Thou  needst  never  fear 
that.  If  thou  needest  a  thousand  times  as  much  help 
as  thou  dost  need,  I  would  give  it  thee  ;  but  it  is 
little  that  thou  dost  require  compared  with  what  I 
have  to  give.  'Tis  great  for  thee  to  need,  but  it  is 
nothing  for  me  to  bestow.     "  Help  thee  ?"     Fear  not. 


232  spukgeon's  gems. 

If  tliere  were  an  ant  at  the  door  of  thy  granary  ask- 
ing for  help,  it  would  not  ruin  thee  to  give  him  a 
handful  of  thy  wheat ;  and  thou  art  nothing  but  a 
tiny  insect  at  the  door  of  my  all-suificiency.  All 
that  thou  couldst  ever  eat,  all  that  thou  couldst  ever 
take,  if  thou  wert  to  take  on  to  all  eternity,  would 
no  more  diminish  my  all-sufficiency,  than  the  drink- 
ing of  the  fish  would  diminish  the  sea.  'No ;  "  I  will 
help  thee."     If  I  have  died  for  thee,  I  will  not  leave 

thee. 

>  •  • 

THE  Samaritan,  when  he  saw  the  wounded  man 
on  the  road  to  Jericho,  felt  that  he  was  in  his 
neighborhood,  and  that  therefore  he  was  his  neighbor, 
and  he  was  bound  to  love  him.  "  Love  thy  neighbor." 
Perhaps  he  is  in  riches,  and  thou  art  poor,  and  thou 
livest  in  thy  little  cot  side-by-side  with  his  lordly 
mansion.  Thou  seest  his  estates,  thou  markest  his 
fine  linen,  and  his  sumptuous  raiment.  God  has 
given  him  these  gifts,  and  if  he  has  not  given  them 
to  thee,  covet  not  his  wealth,  and  think  no  hard 
thoughts  concerning  him.  There  will  ever  be  differ- 
ences in  the  circumstances  of  man,  so  let  it  be.  Be 
content  with  thy  own  lot,  if  thou  canst  not  better  it, 
but  do  not  look  upon  thy  neighbor,  and  wish  that  he 
were  poor  as  thyself,  and  do  not  aid  or  abet  any  who 
would  rid  him  of  his  wealth,  to  make  thee  hastily 


spuegeon's  gems.  233 

ricli.  Love  him,  and  tlien  tlioii  canst  not  envy  him. 
Mayhap,  on  the  other  hand,  thou  art  rich,  and  near 
thee  reside  the  poor.  Do  not  scorn  to  call  them 
neighbors.  Do  not  scorn  to  own  that  thou  art  bound 
to  love  even  them.  The  world  calls  them  thy  in- 
feriors. In  what  are  they  inferior  ?  They  are  thine 
equals  really,  though  not  so  in  station.  "  God  hath 
made  of  one  blood  all  peo^^le  that  dwell  on  the  face 
of  the  earth."  Thou  art  by  no  means  better  than 
they.  They  are  men,  and  what  art  thou  more  than 
that?  They  may  be  men  in  rags,  but  men  in  rags  are 
men  ;  and  if  thou  be  a  man  arrayed  in  scarlet,  thou 
art  no  more  than  a  man.  Take  heed  that  thou  love 
thy  neighbor,  even  though  he  be  in  rags,  and  scorn 
him  not,  though  sunken  in  the  depths  of  poverty. 


•  ♦  > 


IVTEITHER  Paul,  nor  an  angel  from  heaven,  nor 
-L 1  Apollos,  nor  Cephas  can  help  you  in  salvation. 
It  is  not  of  man,  neither  by  men,  and  neither  pope, 
nor  archbishop,  nor  bishop,  nor  priest,  nor  minister, 
nor  any  one  hath  any  grace  to  give  to  others.  "We 
must  each  of  us  go  ourselves  to  the  fountain-head, 
pleading  this  promise — "  Whosoever  calleth  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  shall  be  saved."  If  I  were 
shut  up  in  the  mines  of  Siberia,  where  I  could  never 
hear  the  gospel,  if  I  did  call  upon  the  name  of  Christ, 


234:  spurgeon's  gems. 

the  road  is  just  as  straight  without  the  minister  as 
with  him,  and  the  path  to  heaven  is  just  as  clear  from 
the  wilds  of  Africa,  and  from  the  dens  of  the  prison- 
house  and  the  dungeon,  as  it  is  from  the  sanctuary  of 
God.  l^evertheless,  for  edification,  all  Christians  love 
the  ministry,  though  not  of  salvation ;  though  neither 
in  priest  nor  preacher  do  they  trust,  yet  the  word  of 
God  is  sweet  to  them,  and  "  beautiful  on  the  moun- 
tains are  the  feet  of  them  that  bring  glad  tidings  of 

peace." 

— *-#-# — 

CAN  ye  think  what  must  have  been  the  greatness 
of  the  atonement  which  was  the  substitution  for 
all  this  agony  which  God  would  have  cast  upon  us,  if 
he  had  not  poured  it  upon  Christ  ?  Look !  look !  look 
with  solemn  eye  through  the  shades  that  part  us 
from  the  world  of  spirits,  and  see  that  house  of  misery 
which  men  call  hell !  Ye  cannot  endure  the  specta- 
cle. Remember  that  in  that  place  there  are  spirits 
forever  paying  their  debt  to  divine  justice ;  but 
thousrh  some  of  them  have  been  for  these  four  thou- 
sand  years  sweltering  in  the  flame,  they  are  no  nearer 
a  discharge  than  when  they  began ;  and  when  ten 
thousand  times  ten  thousand  years  shall  have  rolled 
away,  they  will  no  more  have  made  satisfaction  to 
God  for  their  guilt  than  they  have  done  up  till  now. 
And  now  can  you  grasp  the  thought  of  the  greatness 


spurgeon's  gems.  235 

of  your  Saviour's  mediation  wlien  lie  paid  your 
debt,  and  paid  it  all  at  once  ;  so  tliat  there  now  re- 
maineth  not  one  farthing  of  debt  owing  from  Christ's 
people  to  their  God,  except  a  debt  of  love.  To  justice 
the  believer  oweth  nothing ;  though  he  owed  origin- 
ally so  much  that  eternity  would  not  have  been  long 
enough  to  suffice  for  the  paying  of  it,  yet,  in  one  mo- 
ment Christ  did  pay  it  all,  so  that  the  man  who  be- 
lie veth  is  entirely  justified  from  all  guilt,  and  set  free 
from  all  punishment,  through  what  Jesus  hath  done. 
Think  ye,  then,  how  great  his  atonement  if  he  hath 
done  all  this. 


"TTTE  never  read  that  IS^oah  called  up  Shem,  Ham, 
*  T  and  Japheth  to  work  at  the  pumps,  nor  yet  that 
they  had  any,  for  there  was  not  a  bit  of  leakage 
about  the  ark.  No  doubt  there  were  storms  that 
year  ;  but  we  do  not  hear  that  the  ship  was  ever  in 
danger  of  being  wrecked.  The  rocks,  it  is  true,  were 
too  low  down  to  touch  her  bottom  ;  for  fifteen  cubits 
upwards  did  the  waters  prevail,  and  the  mountains 
were  covered.  Eising  twenty-seven  feet  above  tlie 
loftiest  mountains,  she  had  no  quicksands  to  fear; 
they  were  too  deep  below  her  keel.  But  of  course 
she  was  exposed  to  the  winds ;  sometimes  the  hurri- 
cane might  have  rattled  against  her,  and  driven  her 
along.     Doubtless,  at  another  time,  the  hail  beat  on 


236  spukgeon's  gems. 

her  top,  and  the  lightnings  scarred  the  brow  of 
night ;  but  the  ark  sailed  on,  not  one  was  cast  ont 
from  her,  nor  were  her  sailors  wearied  with  constant 
pumj)ing  to  keep  out  the  water,  or  frequent  repairs 
to  keep  her  secure.  Though  the  world  was  inundated 
and  ruined,  that  one  ark  sailed  triumphantly  above 
the  waters.  The  ark  was  safe,  and  all  who  were  in 
her  were  safe  too. 

•  •• 


THOUGH  there  were  many  rooms  in  the  ark, 
THERE  WAS  ONLY  ONE  DOOK.  It  is  Said,  "  And  the 
door  of  the  ark  shalt  thou  set  in  the  side  thereof." 
And  so,  there  is  only  one  door  into  the  ark  of  our 
salvation,  and  that  is  Christ.  There  are  not  two 
Christs  preached,  one  in  one  chapel,  and  another  in 
another.  "  K  any  man  preach  any  other  doctrine 
than  that  ye  have  received,  let  him  be  accursed." 
There  is  but  one  Gospel.  We  take  in  the  righteous 
out  of  all  sections,  but  we  do  not  take  in  all  sections. 
We  pick  out  the  godly  from  amongst  them  all,  for 
we  believe  there  is  a  remnant  according  to  the 
election  of  grace  in  the  vilest  of  them.  But,  still, 
there  is  only  one  door,  and  "  he  that  cometh  not  in 
by  the  door,  but  climbeth  up  some  other  way,  the 
same  is  a  thief  and  a  robber."  There  was  only  one 
door  to  the  ark. 


spttkgeon's  gems.  237 

nilSTE'EE,   thy   deepest   woes  have   been  felt  by 
9^  some  one,  even  more  keenly  than   thou  feelest 
them   now.     Thou   say  est,    "I  sink  in   deep   mire 
where  there  is  no  standing."    There  have  been  some 
that  have   sunk  far  deeper  than   thou  hast  sunk. 
Thou  art  up  to  thy  ankles ;  I  have  known  some  to 
have  been  up  to  the  loins,  and  there  have  been  some 
that  have  been  covered  over  their  very  heads,  so 
that  they  could  say,  "  All  thy  waves  and  thy  billows 
have  gone  over  me."    Your  distresses  are  very  pain- 
ful, but  they  are  not  singular;  others  have  had  to 
endure  the  same.     Be  comforted,  it  is  not  a  desert 
island;    others  have   been  there  too;   and  if  they 
have  passed  through  this,  and  won  the  crown,  thou 
Shalt  pass  through  it,  and  inherit  yet  the  glory  of  the 
believer  on  the  breast  of  Christ. 


jl/FY  God,  I  could  not  drink  from  thy  well,  if  thou 
i-^1  hadst  not  put  there  the  earthen  pitcher  of 
my  Saviour ;  but  with  him  living  waters  from  thy 
sacred  well  I  draw.  Heaven  !  thou  art  too  bright;  I 
could  not  bear  thy  insufferable  light,  if  I  had  not  this 
shade  with  which  I  cover  thee ;  but  through  it,  as 
through  a  mist,  I  do  behold  the  halo  of  thy  glory,  un- 
diminished  in  its  effulgence,  but  somewhat  diminished 
in  their  potency  which  would  be  my  destruction. 


238  spuegeon's  gems. 

BEGrN"  with  science  of  Christ  crucified,  and  you 
will  begin  with  the  sun,  you  will  see  every  other 
science  moving  around  it  in  complete  harmony.  Tlie 
greatest  mind  in  the  world  will  be  evolved  by  begin- 
ning at  the  right  end.  The  old  saying  is,  "  Go  from 
nature  up  to  nature's  God  ;"  but  it  is  hard  working 
up  hill.  Tlie  best  thing  is  to  go  from  nature's  God 
down  to  nature ;  and  if  you  once  get  to  nature's  God, 
and  believe  Him,  and  love  Him,  it  is  surprising  how 
easy  it  is  to  hear  music  in  the  waves,  and  songs  in 
the  wild  whisperings  of  the  winds  ;  to  see  God  every 
where,  in  the  stones,  in  the  rocks,  in  the  rippling 
brooks,  and  hear  him  everywhere  in  the  lowing  of 
cattle,  in  the  rolling  of  thunders,  and  in  the  fury  of 
tempests.  Get  Christ  first,  put  him  in  the  right 
place,  and  you  will  find  him  to  be  the  wisdom  of 
God  in  your  own  experience. 


TBCE  devil,  who  has  been  a  liar  from  the  beginning, 
we  will  credit;  but  if  our  God  promises  any- 
thing, we  say,  "  Surely  this  is  too  good  to  be  true," 
and  we  doubt  the  fulfillment,  because  it  is  not  brought 
to  pass  exactly  at  the  time  and  in  the  way  we  antici- 
pate. Let  us  never  harbor  such  suspicions  of  our 
God.  If  we  say  in  our  haste,  "  All  men  are  liars,'^ 
let  us  preserve  this  one  truth,  "  God  cannot  lie." 


spurgeon's  gems.  239 

I'N  nature,  after  evening  time  there  cometli  niglit. 
The  sun  hath  had  its  hours  of  journeying;  the 
fiery  steeds  are  weary ;  they  must  rest.  Lo,  they 
descend  the  azure  steeps  and  plunge  their  burning 
fetlocks  in  the  western  sea,  while  night  in  her  ebon 
chariot  follows  at  their  heels.  God,  however,  over- 
steps the  rule  of  nature.  He  is  pleased  to  send  to 
his  people  times  when  the  eye  of  reason  expects  to 
see  no  more  day,  but  fears  that  the  glorious  landscape 
of  God's  mercies  will  be  shrouded  in  the  darkness  of 
his  forgetfulness.  But  instead  thereof,  God  over- 
leapeth  nature,  and  declares  that  at  evening  time, 
instead  of  darkness  there  shall  be  light. 


GOD  is  "slow  to  anger."  "When  mercy  cometh 
into  the  world,  she  driveth  winged  steeds ;  the 
axles  of  her  chariot-wheels  are  glowing,  hot  with 
speed;  but  when  wrath  cometh,  it  walketh  with 
tardy  footstej)s ;  it  is  not  in  haste  to  slay,  it  is  not 
swift  to  condemn.  God's  rod  of  mercy  is  ever  in  his 
hands  outstretched ;  God's  sword  of  justice  is  in  its 
scabbard:  not  rusted  in  it — it  can  be  easily  with- 
drawn— ^but  held  there  by  the  hand  that  presses  it 
back  into  its  sheath,  crying,  "  Sleep,  O  sword,  sleep ; 
for  I  will  have  mercy  upon  sinners,  and  will  forgive 
their  transgressions."     God  hath  many  orators  in 


24:0  spukgeon's  gems. 

heaven ;  some  of  tliem  speak  with  swift  words. 
Gabriel,  when  he  cometh  down  to  tell  glad  tidings, 
speaketh  swiftlj :  angelic  hosts,  when  they  descend 
from  glory,  fly  with  wings  of  lightning,  when  they 
proclaim,  "  Peace  on  earth,  good  will  towards  men ;" 
but  the  dark  angel  of  wrath  is  a  slow  orator ;  with 
many  a  pause  between,  where  melting  pity  joins  her 
languid  notes,  he  speaks ;  and  when  but  half  his 
oration  is  completed  he  often  stays,  and  withdraws 
himself  from  his  rostrum,  giving  way  to  pardon  and 
to  mercy ;  he  having  but  addressed  the  people  that 
they  might  be  driven  to  repentance,  and  so  might 
receive  peace  from  the  sceptre  of  God's  love. 


THEKE  is  another  man.  He  does  not  lack  any- 
thing, but  still  he  feels  that  some  great  loss 
may  injure  him  considerably.  Go  and  write  this 
down  in  thy  cash-book.  If  thou  hast  made  out  thy 
cash-account  truly,  put  this  down :  "  The  Lord  is  my 
shepherd,  I  shall  not  want ;"  put  that  down  for  some- 
thing better  than  pounds,  shillings  and  pence,  some- 
thing better  than  gold  and  silver.  "  The  Lord  is  my 
shepherd,  I  shall  not  want."  "  Ah  !"  says  the  cold, 
calculating  man,  "  your  promise  is  not  worth  having, 
sir."  'No  ;  it  would  not,  if  it  were  my  promise. 
But  fortunately  it  is  not.     It  is  God's  promise. 


spurgeon's  gems.  241 

THE  Lord  is  Ms  slieplierd,  lie  shall  not  want. 
What  a  glorious  inheritance!  Walk  up  and 
down  it,  Christians ;  lie  down  upon  it,  it  will  do  for 
thy  pillow ;  it  will  be  soft  as  down  for  thee  to  lie 
upon.  "  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  I  shall  not 
want."  Climb  uj)  that  creaking  staircase  to  the  top 
of  thy  house,  lie  down  on  thy  hard  mattress,  wrap 
'thyself  round  with  a  blanket,  look  out  for  the  win- 
ter when  hard  times  are  coming,  and  say,  "What 
shall  I  do  ?"  But,  then,  just  hum  over  to  thyself 
these  words,  "The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  I  shall 
not  want."  That  will  be  like  the  hush  of  a  lul- 
laby to  your  poor  soul,  and  you  will  soon  sink  to 
slumber. 


•  ♦• 


THE  ARK  HAD  SUNDRY  STORIES  IN  IT.  They  wcrc  uot 
all  of  one  height.  Tliere  were  lower,  second, 
and  third  stories.  ]^ow,  this  is  a  figure  of  the  diffe- 
rent kinds  of  Christians  who  are  carried  to  heaven. 
Tliere  is  my  poor  mourning  brother,  who  lives  in  the 
bottom  story ;  he  is  always  singing,  "  Lord  what  a 
wretched  land  is  this  !"  He  lives  just  near  the  keel, 
on  the  bare  ribs  of  the  ark.  He  is  never  very 
happy.  A  little  light  reaches  him  from  the  window 
at  times ;  but  generally  he  is  so  far  from  the  light 
that  he    walks    in   darkness,   and  sees  very  little 

11 


242  spukgeon's  gems. 

indeed.  His  state  is  tliat  of  constant  groaning ;  he 
likes  to  hear  it  said,  "  Through  much  tribulation  you 
will  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;"  if  jou  paint  th6 
Christian  life  as  a  very  gloomy  one,  he  will  like  your 
picture,  for  his  is  gloomy  indeed ;  he  is  always  poring 
over  texts  such  as  these,  "  Oh,  wretched  man  that  I 
am,"  or  that  other,  ''  They  that  pass  through  the 
valley  of  Beca  make  it  a  well ;  the  rain  also  filleth 
the  pools."  He  is  down  in  the  lower  story  of  the 
ark.  But  never  mind  ;  he  is  in  the  ark,  though  he 
has  little  faith,  and  very  much  doubt.  "  With  lower, 
second,  and  third  stories  shalt  thou  make  it."  There 
is  one  of  our  brethren  up  a  little  higher,  and  he  is 
saying,  "  I  cannot  exactly  say  I  am  safe  ;  3^et  I  have 
a  hope  that  my  head  will  be  kept  above  the  billows, 
though  it  goes  hard  with  me  at  times,  l^ow  and 
then,  too,  the  Lord  bestows  '  some  drops  of  heaven ' 
upon  me.  Sometimes  I  am  like  the  mountains  of 
Hermon,  where  '  the  Lord  commanded  the  blessing, 
even  life  forevermore.'  He  is  in  the  second  story. 
"Well,  but  he  is  no  safer  than  the  other  one.  He 
that  is  in  the  second  story  is  no  safer,  though  he  is 
happier  than  the  man  on  tlie  ground  floor.  All  are 
safe,  so  long  as  they  are  in  the  ark.  For  my  part, 
I  like  the  uppermost  story  best.  I  had  rather  live 
up  there,  where  I  can  sing,  "  0  God,  my  heart  is 
fixed,  I  will   sing  and   give  praise,  even  with  my 


spurgeon's  gems.  243 

glory."  I  love  tlie  place  wliere  the  saints  are 
always  admonisliing  and  encouraging  one  another 
with  psalms,  and  hymns,  and  spiritual  songs.  I  con- 
fess that  I  am  obliged  to  go  down  to  the  lower  story 
sometimes ;  but  I  like  running  up  the  ladder  to  the 
third  deck,  w^henever  I  can.  But  I  am  no  more  safe 
when  I  am  in  the  top  story  than  I  am  when  I  am  in 
the  bottom.  The  same  wave  that  would  split  the 
ship  and  drown  me,  were  I  in  the  lowest  story, 
would  drown  me  if  I  were  in  the  highest.  However 
high  some  of  us,  and  however  low  others  of  us  may 
be,  the  same  vessel  bears  us  all,  for  we  are  one  crew 
in  one  boat,  and  there  is  no  dividing  us.  Come, 
then,  my  poor  desponding  hearer,  is  that  your  place, 
somewhere  down  at  the  bottom  of  the  hold,  along 
with  the  ballast?  Are  you  always  in  trials  and 
troubles  ?  Ah !  well,  fear  not,  so  long  as  you  are  in 
the  ark.  Do  not  be  afraid,  Christ  is  your  strength 
and  righteousness.  A  wave  comes  against  the  side 
of  the  ship,  but  it  does  not  hurt  the  ship,  it  only 
drives  the  wedges  in  tighter.  The  master  is  at  the 
helm — will  not  that  assure  your  heart?  It  has 
floated  over  so  many  billows — will  not  that  increase 
your  confidence  ?  It  must,  indeed,  be  a  strong 
billow  that  will  sink  it  now  ;  there  never  shall  be 
such  an  one.  And  where,  think  you,  is  the  power 
that  could  destroy  the  souls  who  are  sheltered  in  the 


24A  sruRGEON's  gems. 

ark  of  our  salvation  ?  "Who  can  lay  anything  to  the 
charge  of  God's  elect,  since  Christ  hath  died,  and 
God  the  Father  hath  justified  ns ?  Happy  assurance ! 
We  are  all  safe,  so  sure  as  we  are  in  the  covenant. 
Tlie  ark  floated  triumphantly  on  amidst  all  the 
dangers  without,  and  when  it  finally  rested  on 
Mount  Ararat,  and  God  spake  to  'Noah  again, 
saying,  "  Go  forth  of  the  ark,  thou,  and  thy  wife, 
and  thy  sons,  and  thy  sons'  wives  with  thee.  Bring 
forth  with  thee  every  living  thing  ;"  then  the  inven- 
tory was  complete,  all  were  safely  landed.  So,  too, 
will  Christ  present  the  perfect  number  of  all  his 
people  to  the  Father  in  the  last  day ;  not  one  shall 
perish.  The  ark  of  our  salvation  shall  bring  alHts 
living  freight  into  the  haven  of  everlasting  rest. 


THERE  are  some  persons  whose  eyes  are  so  weak 
that  the  light  seems  to  be  injurious  to  them,  espe- 
cially the  red  rays  of  the  sun,  and  a  glass  has  been 
invented,  which  rejects  the  rays  that  are  injurious,  and 
allows  only  those  to  pass  which  are  softened  and  mo- 
dified to  the  weakness  of  the  eye.  It  seems  as  if  the 
Lord  Jesus  were  some  such  a  glass  as  this.  The  grace 
of  God  the  Trinity,  shining  through  the  man  Christ 
Jesus,  becomes  a  mellow,  soft  light,  so  that  mortal 
eye  can  bear  it. 


sptjrgeon's  gems.  245 

¥HEEEYEPv  the  cliurcli  is,  there  is  God.  God 
is  pleased,  in  his  mercy  and  condescension,  to 
stoop  from  the  highest  heavens  to  dwell  in  this  lower 
heaven — the  heaven  of  his  church.  It  is  here, 
among  the  household  of  faith,  he  deigns — let  nie 
say  it  with  sacred  reverence — ^to  unbend  himself, 
and  hold  familiar  intercourse  with  those  round  about 
him  whom  he  hath  adopted  into  his  family.  lie 
may  be  a  consuming  fire  abroad,  but  when  he  comes 
into  his  own  house  he  is  all  mercy,  mildness,  and 
love.  Abroad  he  does  great  works  of  power ;  but 
at  home  in  his  own  house  he  does  great  works  of 
grace. 

T^OU  are  not  dying  now;  but  you  will  be  dying 
J-  soon,  l^one  of  you  have  taken  a  lease  of 
your  lives ;  it  is  impossible  for  you  to  guarantee 
to  yourselves  existence  for  another  hour.  And  if 
you  are  Godless  and  Christless,  ye  have  all  in  your 
veins  the  venom  of  that  death  unutterable  which 
will  make  your  departure  doleful  beyond  expression ! 
Men  are  dying  every  day  around  us ;  at  this  very 
hour  there  are  thousands  departing  into  the  world  of 
spirits.  In  upper  chambers,  where  mourning  re- 
latives are  pouring  floods  of  tears  upon  their  burning 
brows  ;  far  away  on  the  wild  sea,  where  the  sea-gull 
litters  the  only  scream  over  the  ship-wrecked  mari- 


246  spurgeon's  gems. 

ner ;  down,  deep,  deep,  deep,  in  the  lowest  valley, 
and  high  npon  the  loftiest  hills,  men  are  dying  now, 
and  dying  in  agonies.  Ah,  and  ye  must  die  also! 
and  will  ye  march  on  heedlessly ;  will  ye  go  on  step 
after  step,  singing  merrily  all  the  way,  and  dreaming 
not  of  that  which  is  to  come !  Oh,  will  ye  be  like 
the  silly  bullock  that  goeth  easily  to  the  slaughter, 
or  will  ye  be  like  the  lamb  that  licks  the  butcher's 
knife !  Mad,  mad  O  man,  that  thou  shouldst  go  to 
eternal  wrath  and  to  the  chambers  of  fell  destruc- 
tion, and  yet  no  sigh  comes  from  thy  heart;  no 
groan  is  uttered  by  thy  lips !  Thou  diest  every  day, 
but  groanest  never,  till  the  last  day  of  thy  death, 
which  is  the  beginning  of  thy  misery.  Yes,  the  con- 
dition of  the  mass  of  men  is  just  like  the  condition 
of  the  children  of  Israel  when  they  were  bitten  by 
the  serpents. 

THE  Saviour  seems  to  calm  his  glory,  to  tone  it 
down  to  our  poor  feeble  frame.  His  name  put 
into  this  wine  of  heaven,  does  not  diminsh  in  the  least 
degree  its  sparkling  and  its  exhilarating  power ;  but 
it  takes  out  of  it  that  deep  strength  which  might  up- 
set an  angel's  brain,  if  he  could  drink  to  his  full.  It 
takes  away  the  profundity  of  mystery,  which  would 
make  the  deep  old  wine  of  the  kingdom  intoxicating 
rather  than  cheering. 


spurgeon's  gems.  247 

IT  is  singular  that  other  men  think  they  shall  live 
forever,  but  men  convinced  of  sin,  who  seek  a 
Saviour,  are  afraid  they  shall  not  live  another 
moment.  You  have  known  the  time  when  you 
dared  not  shut  your  eyes  for  fear  you  should  not  open 
them  again  on  earth ;  when  you  dreaded  the  shadows 
of  the  night  lest  they  should  darken  forever  the  light 
of  the  sun,  and  you  should  dwell  in  outer  darkness 
throughout  eternity.  You  have  mourned  as  each 
day  has  entered,  and  you  have  wept  as  it  has  depart- 
ed, because  you  fancied  that  your  next  step  might 
precipitate  you  into  your  eternal  doom.  I  have  known 
what  it  is  to  tread  the  earth  and  fear  lest  every  tuft 
of  grass  should  but  cover  a  door  to  hell ;  trembling, 
lest  every  particle,  and  every  atom,  and  every  stone, 
should  be  so  at  league  with  God  against  me  as  to  de- 
stroy me. 

— •-•-• — 

¥JIEN  God's  power  doth  restrain  himself,  then  it 
is  power  indeed,  the  power  to  curb  power, 
the  power  that  binds  omnipotence  is  omnipotence 
surpassed.  God  is  great  in  power,  and  therefore 
doth  he  keep  in  his  anger.  A  man  who  has  a  strong 
mind  can  bear  to  be  insulted,  can  bear  offences, 
because  he  is  strong.  The  weak  mind  snaps  and 
snarls  at  the  little ;  the  strong  mind  bears  it  like  a 
rock;    it  moveth  not  though  a  thousand  breakers 


248 


SPUKGEON  S   GEMS. 


dash  upon  it,  and  cast  their  pitiful  malice  in  the 
spray  upon  its  summit.  God  marketh  his  enemies, 
and  yet  he  moveth  not ;  he  standeth  still,  and  letteth 
them  cm'se  him,  yet  he  is  not  wrathful  ?  If  he  were 
less  of  a  God  than  he  is,  if  he  were  less  mighty  than 
we  know  him  to  be,  he  would  long  ere  this  have  sent 
forth  the  whole  of  his  thunders,  and  emptied  the 
magazines  of  heaven ;  he  would  long  ere  this  have 
blasted  the  earth  with  the  wondrous  mines  he  hath 
prepared  in  its  lower  surface ;  the  flame  that  burnetii 
there  would  have  consumed  us,  and  we  should  have 
been  utterly  destroyed.  We  bless  God  that  the 
greatness  of  his  power  is  just  our  protection ;  he  is 
slow  to  anger  because  he  is  great  in  power. 


THERE  was  never  a  soul  yet,  that  sincerely  sought 
the  Saviour,  who  perished  before  he  found  him. 
ISTo ;  the  gates  of  death  shall  never  shut  on  thee  till 
the  gates  of  grace  have  opened  for  thee ;  till  Christ 
has  washed  thy  sins  away  thou  shalt  never  be  bap- 
tized in  Jordan's  flood.  Thy  life  is  secure,  for  this  is 
God's  constant  plan — ^he  keeps  his  own  elect  alive  till 
the  day  of  his  grace,  and  then  he  takes  them  to  him- 
self. And  inasmuch  as  thou  knowest  thy  need  of  a 
Saviour,  thou  art  one  of  his,  and  thou  shalt  never  die 
i:]itil  thou  hast  found  him. 


spurgeon's  gems.  249 

rpHE  pillars  of  the  eartli  were  placed  in  their  ever- 
-L    lasting  sockets  by  the  omnipotent  right  hand  of 
Christ ;  the  curtains  of  the  heavens  were  drawn  upon 
their  rings  of  starry  light  by  him  who  was  from  ever- 
lasting the  all-glorious  Son  of  God.     Tlie  orbs  that 
float  aloft  in  ether,  those  ponderous  planets,  and  those 
mighty  stars,  were  placed  in  their  positions,  or  sent 
roUing  through  space  by  the  eternal  strength  of  him 
who  is  "  the  first  and  the  last."  "  the  Prince  of  the 
kings  of  the  earth."     Christ  is  the  power  of  God,  for 
he  is  the  Creator  of  all  things,  and  by  him  all  things 
exist. 


•  »•■ 


11  l"A]SrY  men  beKeve  in  the  existence  of  a  God,  but 
M  they  do  not  love  that  belief.     They  know  there 
is   a  God,  but  they  greatly  wish  there  were  none. 
Some  would  be  very  pleased,  ye  would  set  the  bells 
a-ringing  if  you  believed  there  were  no  God.     Why, 
if  there  were  no  God,  then  you  might  live  just  as 
you  liked  ;  if  there  were  no  God,  then  you  might  run 
riot  and  have  no  fear  of  future  consequences.     It 
would  be  to  you  the  greatest  joy  that  could  be,  if 
you  heard  that  the  eternal  God  had  ceased  to  be. 
But  the  Christian  never  wishes  any  such  a  thing  as 
tliat.     The  thought  that  there  is  a  God  is  the  sun- 
shine of  his  existence.     His  intellect  bows  before  the 
Most  High ;   not  like  a  slave  who  bends  his  body 

11* 


250  spurgeon's  gems 

because  he  must,  but  like  tlie  angel  who  prostrates 
himself  because  he  loves  to  adore  his  Maker.  His 
intellect  is  as  fond  of  God  as  his  imagination.  "  Oh!" 
he  saith,  "  mj  God,  I  bless  thee  that  thou  art ;  for 
thou  art  mj  highest  treasure,  my  richest  and  my 
rarest  delight.  I  love  thee  with  all  my  intellect ;  I 
have  neither  thought,  nor  judgment,  nor  conviction, 
nor  reason,  which  I  do  not  lay  at  thy  feet,  and  conse- 
crate to  thine  honor. 


METIirN"KS,  when  God  launched  the  sun  from  his 
hand  and  sent  him  on  his  course,  he  said, 
"Prove  me  now;"  see,  O  sun,  if  I  do  not  uphold 
thee  till  thou  hast  done  thy  work  and  finished  thy 
career;  rejoice  thou  may  est,  "as  a  strong  man  to 
run  a  race,"  but  while  thou  fulfiUest  thy  circuits, 
and  nothing  is  hid  from  thy  heat,  thou  shalt  prove 
my  glory  and  shed  light  upon  my  handiwork.  When 
the  Almighty  whirled  the  earth  in  space,  methinks 
he  said,  "  Prove  me  now,"  O  earth,  see  if  I  do  not 
perpetuate  thy  seasons,  and  give  thee  "  seed-time  and 
harvest,  cold  and  heat,  summer  and  winter,  day  and 
night,"  refreshing  thee  with  incessant  providence. 
And  to  each  creature  he  made,  I  can  almost  think 
the  Almighty  said,  "Prove  me  now."  Tiny  gnat, 
thou  art  about  to  dance  in  the  sunshine ;  thou  shalt 


spukgeon's  gems.  251 

prove  my  goodness.  Huge  leviatlian,  thou  shalt  stir 
up  the  deep  and  make  it  frothy  ;  go  forth,  and  prove 
my  power.  Ye  creatures,  whom  I  have  endowed 
with  various  instincts,  wait  on  me ;  I  will  give  you 
your  meat  in  due  season.  And  you,  ye  mighty 
thunders  and  ye  swift  lightnings,  go,  teach  the  world 
reverence  and  show  forth  my  omnipotence. 


•  •  • 


I  HA  YE  often  remarked  that  when  men  have 
been  adopting  a  patent  process  of  building  up 
a  church,  by  the  revivalist  sermons  of  some  thunder- 
ing, crazy-brained  preachers,  after  the  first  excite- 
ment has  subsided  that  church  has  become  sickly 
and  fallen  into  a  very  sad  and  grievous  state.  Those 
revivalists  have  often  been  like  locusts  in  our 
churches,  devouring  every  green  thing  ;  and  the 
revivals  they  have  stimulated  have  well-nigh 
brought  us  to  destruction.  God  will  not  have  men 
usm-p  his  prerogative  in  the  building ;  and  though 
they  may  with  their  own  hand  speedily  pile  up  a 
mighty  structure,  yet,  like  the  baseless  fabric  of  a 
vision,  it  soon  disappears  and  is  it  gone.  In  his 
building  he  suffers  no  man  to  use  trowels  or  ham- 
mer :  he  will  use  men  for  trowels  and  hammers, 
but  he  will  not  allow  them  to  make  use  of  them- 
selves or  of  others.     His  own  hands  shall  perform  it. 


252  spukgeon's  gems. 

WB.'EN  the  light  of  God's  grace  comes  into  your 
heart,  it  is  something  like  the  opening  of  the 
windows  of  an  old  cellar  that  has  been  shut  up  for 
many  days.  Down  in  that  cellar,  which  has  not  been 
opened  for  many  months,  are  all  kinds  of  loathsome 
creatures,  and  a  few  sickly  plants  blanched  by  the 
darkness.  The  walls  are  dark  and  damp  by  the  trail 
of  reptiles ;  it  is  a  horrid  filthy  place  in  which  no  one 
would  willingly  enter.  You  may  walk  there  in  the 
dark  very  securely,  and  except  now  and  then  for  the 
touch  of  some  slimy  creature,  you  would  not  believe 
the  place  was  so  bad  and  filthy.  Open  those,  shutters, 
clean  a  pane  of  glass,  let  a  little  light  in,  and  now  see 
how  a  thousand  noxious  things  have  made  this  place 
their  habitation.  Sure,  'twas  not  the  light  that  made 
this  place  so  horrible,  but  it  was  the  light  that  showed 
how  horrible  it  was  before.  So  let  God's  grace  just 
open  a  window  and  let  the  light  into  a  man's  soul, 
and  he  will  stand  astonished  to  see  at  what  a  distance 
he  is  from  God. 


C  HEIST  JESUS  cast  into  the  river  of  God,  makes 
all  the  streams  more  sweet ;  and  when  the  be- 
liever sees  God  in  the  person  of  the  Saviour,  he  then 
sees  the  God  whom  he  can  love,  and  to  whom  with 
boldness  he  can  approach. 


spuegeon's  gems.  253 

SHOULD  ever  so  great  a  misfortune  come  upon  ns, 
if  we  can  trace  it  to  tlie  providence  of  God,  we 
bear  it  clieerfully ;  but  if  we  have  inflicted  it  upon 
ourselves,  then  how  fearful  is  it !  And  let  every  man 
remember  that  if  he  perish  after  having  heard  the 
gospel,  he  will  be  his  own  murderer.  Sinner  thou 
wilt  drive  the  dagger  into  thine  heart  thyself.  K 
thou  despisest  the  gospel,  thou  art  preparing  fuel 
for  thine  own  bed  of  flames,  thou  art  hammering  out 
the  chain  for  thine  own  everlasting  binding;  and 
when  damned,  thy  mournful  reflection  will  be  this — 
I  have  damned  myself,  I  cast  myself  into  this  pit ;  for 
I  rejected  the  gospel ;  I  despised  the  message ;  I  trod 
under  foot  the  Son  of  Man ;  I  w^ould  have  none  of  his 
rebukes ;  I  despised  his  sabbatlis ;  I  would  not 
hearken  to  his  exhortations,  and  now  I  perish  by  mine 
own  hand,  the  miserable  suicide  of  my  own  soul." 


REMEMBEK,  all  you  want  to  know  to  get  to  hea- 
ven is,  the  two  things  that  begin  with  S. — Sin 
and  Saviour.  Do  you  feel  your  sin  ?  Christ  is  your 
Saviour  ;  trust  to  him,  pray  to  him  ;  and  as  you  are 
here  now,  and  I  am  talking  to  you,  you  will  one  day 
be  in  lieaven.  I  will  tell  you  two  prayers  to  ju-ay. 
First,  pray  this  prayer — "  Lord  show  me  myself." 
That  is  an  easy  one  for  you.     Lord,  show  me  myself? 


254  SPUEGEON-'S   GEM8. 

show  me  my  heart ;  show  me  my  guilt ;  show  me  my 
danger ;  Lord,  show  me  myself?  And  when  you  have 
prayed  that  prayer,  and  God  has  answered  it  (and 
remember,  he  hears  prayer),  when  he  has  answered  it, 
and  shown  yon  yourself,  here  is  another  prayer  for 
you — "  Lord,  show  me  thyself.  Show  me  thy  work, 
thy  love,  thy  mercy,  thy  cross,  thy  grace."  Pray 
that ;  and  those  are  about  the  only  prayers  you  want 
to  pray,  to  get  to  heaven  with — "  Lord,  show  me  my- 
self ;"  "  Lord,  show  me  thyself."  You  do  not  want 
to  know  much,  then.  You  need  not  si3ell,  to  get  to 
heaven ;  you  need  not  be  able  to  speak  English,  to 
get  to  heaven ;  the  ignorant  and  rude  are  welcome 
to  the  cross  of  Christ  and  salvation. 


GOD  "  will  not  acquit  the  wicked ;"  how  prove  I 
this  ?  I  prove  it  thus.  JSTever  once  has  he  par- 
doned an  unpunished  sin ;  not  in  all  the  years  of  the 
Most  High,  not  in  all  the  days  of  his  right  hand,  has 
he  once  blotted  out  sin  without  punishment.  What ! 
say  you,  were  not  those  in  heaven  pardoned  ?  Are 
there  not  many  transgressors  pardoned,  and  do  they 
not  escape  without  punishment?  Has  he  not  said, 
"  I  have  blotted  out  thy  transgressions  like  a  cloud, 
and  like  a  thick  cloud  thine  iniquities  ?"  Yes,  true, 
most  true,  and  yet  my  assertion  is  true  also — not  one 


spuegeon's  gems.  255 

of  all  those  sins  that  have  been  pardoned  were  par- 
doned  without  punishment.  Do  you  ask  nie  why 
and  how  such  a  thing  as  that  can  be  the  truth  ?  I 
point  you  to  yon  dreadful  sight  on  Calvary ;  tlie 
punishment  which  fell  not  on  the  forgiven  sinner  fell 
there.  The  cloud  of  justice  was  charged  with  fiery 
hail ;  the  sinner  deserved  it ;  it  fell  on  him  ;  but,  for 
all  that,  it  fell  and  spent  its  fury ;  it  fell  there,  in  that 
great  reservoir  of  misery ;  it  fell  into  the  Saviour's 
heart.  The  plagues,  which  need  should  light  on  our 
ingratitude,  did  not  fall  on  us,  but  they  fell  some- 
where ;  and  who  was  it  that  was  plagued  ?  Tell  me, 
Gethsemane ;  tell  me,  O  Calvary's  summit,  who  was 
plagued  ?  The  doleful  answer  comes,  "  Eli^  Eli,  lama 
sdbachthani  .^"  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou 
forsaken  me  ?"  It  is  Jesus  suffering  all  the  plagues 
of  sin.  Sin  is  still  punished,  though  the  sinner  is 
delivered. 


SEE  what  vitality  the  gospel  has.  Plunge  her  un- 
der the  wave,  and  she  rises,  the  purer  from  her 
washing ;  thrust  her  in  the  fire  and  she  comes  out  the 
more  bright  for  her  burning ;  cut  her  in  sunder,  and 
each  piece  shall  make  another  church ;  behead  her, 
and  like  the  hydra  of  old,  she  shall  have  a  hundred 
heads  for  every  one  you  cut  away.  She  cannot  die, 
she  must  live ;  for  she  has  the  power  of  God  within  her. 


256  spukgeon's  gems. 


I 


E"  the  ark,  rooms  were  made.  Those  who  lived  in 
one  room  did  not  stand  or  sit  with  those  who  lived 
in  another  ;  but  they  were  all  in  the  same  ark.  So  I 
have  sometimes  thought,  there  are  our  Wesleyan 
friends,  some  of  them  love  the  Lord ;  1  have  no  doubt 
thej  are  in  the  ark,  though  they  do  not  occupy  the 
same  apartment  as  we  do.  There  are  our  Baptist 
friends,  who  love  the  Lord ;  we  welcome  them  in  our 
room.  Then  there  are  our  Lidependent  friends,  those 
also  love  the  Lord ;  they  are  in  another  room.  And 
our  Presbyterian  and  Episcopalian  brethren — ^in  all 
these  various  sections  are  some  who  are  called  of 
Grod  and  brought  into  the  ark,  though  they  are  in 
different  rooms.  But,  beloved,  they  are  all  in  one 
ark.  There  are  not  two  Gospels.  As  long  as  T  can 
find  a  man  that  holds  the  same  Gospel,  it  does  not 
matter  what  order  of  church  government  he  adopts 
if  he  be  in  Christ  Jesus — it  is  of  little  consequence 
what  room  he  is  in  so  long  as  he  is  in  the  ark.  If  he 
belongs  to  those  of  whom  it  is  written,  "  By  grace 
are  ye  saved,  through  faith,  and  that  not  of  your- 
selves, it  is  the  gift  of  God,"  I  will  call  him  brother. 
"We  cannot  all  expect  to  be  in  one  room.  The  ele- 
phants did  not  live  with  the  tigers,  and  the  lions  did 
not  lie  down  with  the  sheep.  There  were  different 
rooms  for  different  classes  of  creatures ;  and  it  is  a 
good  thing  there  are  different  denominations,  for  I 


spurgeon's  gems.  257 

am  sure  some  of  us  would  not  get  on  very  comfort- 
ably witli  certain  denominations.  We  should  want 
m.ore  liberty  than  we  could  get  in  the  Church  of 
England;  we  should  want  more  freedom  than  we 
could  get  with  the  Presbyterians ;  we  should  want 
more  soundness  of  doctrine  than  we  could  get  with 
the  Wesleyans ;  and  we  should  want  a  little  more 
brotherly  love,  perhaps,  than  we  could  get  with  some 
of  the  strict  Baptists.  We  should  not  entirely  agree 
with  them  all ;  and  hapj^y  is  he  who  can  sometimes 
put  his  head  into  one  room  and  sometimes  into 
another,  and  can  say  to  all  that  love  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  "  Grace  be  with  you  all  so  long  as  you  are  in 
the  ark." 


r'  is  a  singular  thing  that  there  was  only  one 
WINDOW  IN  THE  ARK.  That  oiiQ  wiudow  may  fitly 
represent  the  ministry  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  There  is 
only  one  light  which  lighteneth  every  man  who  com- 
eth  into  the  world,  if  he  be  lightened  at  all.  Christ 
is  the  light,  and  it  is  the  Holy  Spirit  of  truth  by 
whom  Christ  is  revealed.  Thus  we  discern  sin,  right- 
eousness, and  judgment.  ISTo  other  conviction  is  of 
any  real  value.  As  we  are  brought  under  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Spirit,  we  do  perceive  our  guilt  and 
misery,  and  our  redemption  and  refuge  in  Christ. 
!No  other  means  exist.    There  is  only  one  window  to 


258  sptjrgeon's  gems. 

tlie  ark.  ""Why,"  says  one,  "there  are  some  of  us 
who  see  light  through  one  minister  and  some  throngh 
another."  True,  my  friend ;  but  still  there  is  only 
one  window.  Ministers  are  only  like  panes  of  glass, 
and  you  can  obtain  no  light  through  them  but  by  the 
operations  of  the  same  Spirit  that  worketh  in  them. 
And  even  then  the  different  panes  of  glass  give  dif- 
ferent shades  of  light.  There  you  have  your  fine 
polished  preacher;  he  is  a  bit  of  stained  glass,  not 
very  transparent,  made  to  keep  the  light  out  rather 
than  to  let  it  in.  There  is  another  pane ;  he  is  a 
square  cut  diamond;  he  seems  an  old-fashioned 
preacher,  but  still  he  is  a  bit  of  good  glass,  and  lets 
the  light  through.  Another  one  is  cut  after  a  more 
refined  style ;  but  still  he  is  plain  and  simple,  and 
the  light  shines  through  him.  But  there  is  only  one 
light,  and  only  one  window.  He  who  revealeth  to 
us  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in 
the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Holy  Spirit. 


IF  we  listen  to  the  rippling  of  the  freshet  at  the 
mountain  side,  to  the  tumbling  of  the  avalanche, 
to  the  lowing  of  the  cattle,  to  the  singing  of  the  birds, 
to  every  voice  and  sound  of  nature,  we  shall  hear  this 
answer  to  the  question,  "  God  is  our  maker  ;  he  hath 
made  us,  and  not  we  ourselves." 


spuegeon's  gems.  259 

0]^  the  morning,  wlien  the  ark  door  was  opened, 
you  might  have  seen  in  the  sky  a  pair  of  eagles, 
a  pair  of  sparrows,  a  pair  of  vultures,  a  pair  of 
ravens,  a  pair  of  humming-birds,  a  pair  of  all  kinds 
of  birds  that  ever  cut  the  azure,  that  ever  floated  on 
wing,  or  whispered  their  song  to  the  evening  gales. 
In  they  came.  But  if  you  had  watched  down  on  the 
earth,  you  would  have  seen  come  creeping  along  a 
pair  of  snails,  a  pair  of  snakes,  and  a  pair  of  worms. 
There  ran  along  a  pair  of  mice  ;  there  came  a  pair 
of  lizards,  and  in  there  flew  a  pair  of  locusts.  There 
were  pairs  of  creeping  creatures,  as  well  as  paii's  of 
flying  creatures.  Do  you  see  what  I  mean  by  that  ? 
There  are  some  of  you  that  can  fly  so  high  in  know- 
ledge, that  I  should  never  be  able  to  scan  your  great 
and  extensive  wisdom  ;  and  others  of  you  so  ignorant, 
that  you  can  hardly  read  your  Bibles.  Never  mind ; 
the  eagle  must  come  down  to  the  door,  and  you  must 
go  up  to  it.  There  is  only  one  entrance  for  you  all ; 
and  as  God  saved  the  birds  that  flew,  so  he  saved 
the  reptiles  that  crawled.  Are  you  a  poor,  ignorant, 
crawling  creature,  that  never  was  noticed — without 
intellect,  without  repute,  without  fame,  without 
honor  ?  Come  along,  crawling  one  !  God  will  not 
exclude  you.  I  have  often  wondered  how  the  poor 
snail  crawled  in  ;  but  I  dare  say  he  started  many  a 
year  before.     And  some   of  you  have  started  for 


260  sptjrgeon's  gems. 

years,  and  still  you  keep  crawling  on.  All !  then, 
come  along  with  thee,  poor  snail !  If  I  could  jnst 
pick  thee  up,  and  help  thee  on  a  yard  or  two,  I 
would  be  glad  to  do  it.  It  is  strange  how  long  you 
have  been  nigh  to  the  ark,  but  not  yet  entered  in ; 
how  long  you  have  been  near  the  portals  of  the 
church,  but  never  joined  it. 


I  DO  not  think  any  one  of  the  children  of  God 
proves  all  of  God,  but  that  they  are  all  proving 
different  parts  of  his  one  grand  character,  so  that 
when  the  whole  history  of  Providence  shall  be  writ- 
ten, and  the  lives  of  all  the  saints  shall  be  recorded, 
the  title  of  the  book  will  be,  "  Proofs  of  God."  There 
will  be  one  compendious  proof,  that  he  is  God  and 
change th  not ;  that  with  him  there  "is  no  variable- 
ness, neither  shadow  of  turning." 


1VT0  easy  path  has  the  gospel  had.  The  good  bark 
i- 1  of  the  Church  has  had  to  plough  her  way  through 
seas  of  blood,  and  those  who  have  manned  her  have 
been  bespattered  with  the  bloody  spray ;  yea,  they 
have  had  to  man  her  and  keep  her  in  motion,  by  lay- 
ing down  their  lives  unto  the  death. 


spurgeon's  gems.  261 

BUT  do  ye  want  further  proof  that  God  will  not 
acquit  the  wicked  ?  Need  I  lead  you  through  a 
long  list  of  terrible  wonders  that  God  has  wrought — 
the  wonders  of  his  vengeance?  Shall  I  show  you 
blighted  Eden?  Shall  I  let  you  see  a  world  all 
drowned — sea  monsters  whelping  and  stabling  in  the 
palaces  of  kings?  Shall  I  let  you  hear  the  last  shriek 
of  the  last  drowning  man  as  he  falls  into  the  flood 
and  dies,  washed  by  that  huge  wave  from  the  hill 
top?  Shall  I  let  you  see  death  riding  upon  the  sum- 
mit of  a  crested  billow,  upon  a  sea  that  knows  no 
shore,  and  triumphing  because  his  work  is  done  ;  his 
quiver  empty,  for  all  men  are  slain,  save  where  life 
floats  in  the  midst  of  death  in  yonder  ark  ?  Need  I 
let  you  see  Sodom,  with  its  terrified  inhabitants, 
when  the  volcano  of  almighty  wrath  spouted  fiery 
hail  upon  it  ?  Shall  I  show  you  the  earth  opening  its 
mouth  to  swallow  up  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abiram  ? 
Need  I  take  you  to  the  plagues  of  Egypt  ?  Shall  I 
again  repeat  the  death  shriek  of  Pharaoh,  and  the 
drowning  of  his  host?  Surely,  ye  need  not  to  be 
told  of  cities  that  are  in  ruins,  or  of  nations  that  have 
been  cut  off  in  a  day ;  ye  need  not  to  be  told  how 
God  has  smitten  the  earth  from  one  side  to  the  other, 
when  he  has  been  wroth,  and  how  he  has  melted 
mountains  in  his  hot  displeasure.  Nay,  we  have 
proofs  enough  in  history,  proofs  enough  in  Scripture, 


262  spuegeon's  ■  gems. 

that  "  lie  will  not  at  all  acquit  the  wicked."  If  ye 
wanted  the  best  proof,  however,  ye  should  borrow 
the  black  wings  of  a  miserable  imagination,  and  fly 
beyond  the  world,  through  the  dark  realm  of  chaos, 
on,  far  on,  where  those  battlements  of  fire  are  gleam- 
ing with  a  horrid  light — if  through  them,  with  a 
spirit's  safety,  ye  would  fly,  and  would  behold  the 
worm  that  never  dies,  the  pit  that  knows  no  bottom, 
and  could  you  there  see  the  fire  unquenchable,  and 
listen  to  the  shrieks  and  wails  of  men  that  are  ban- 
ished forever  from  God — ^if,  sirs,  it  were  possible  for 
you  to  hear  the  sullen  groans,  and  hollow  moans,  and 
shrieks  of  tortured  ghosts,  then  would  you  come  back 
to  this  world,  amazed  and  petrified  with  horror,  and 
you  would  say,  "Indeed,  he  will  not  acquit  the 
wicked." 


VE  endure  ten  times  as  much  anxiety  in  this 
w^orld  as  we  need,  because  we  confide  not  in 
divine  promise  half  as  much  as  we  might.  If  we 
were  to  live  more  on  God's  promise,  and  less  on 
creature  feelings,  we  should  be  happier  men  and  wo- 
men, all  of  us.  If  we  w^ere  to  get  hold  of  a  promise, 
and  say,  "  There,  let  me  abide  by  this ;  though  the 
world  says  it  is  not  true,  I  will  believe  it."  Could 
we  live  alway  in  faith  on  the  promises,  the  shafts  of 
the  enemy  could  never  reach  us. 


spurgeon's  gems.  263 

FEAR  liatli  kept  many  a  child  of  God  from  doing 
liis  duty,  from  making  a  bold  profession ;  hath 
brought  bondage  into  his  spirit.  Fear  misused,  thou  art 
the  Christian's  greatest  curse,  and  thou  art  the  sinner's 
ruin.  Thou  art  a  sly  serpent,  creeping  amongst  the 
thorns  of  sin,  and  when  thou  art  allowed  to  twist 
thyself  around  manhood,  thou  dost  crush  it  in  thy 
folds,  and  poison  it  with  thy  venom.  ^Nothing  can  be 
worse  than  this  sinful  fear ;  it  hath  slaughtered  its  my- 
riads and  sent  thousands  to  hell.  But  it  yet  may  seem 
a  paradox ;  fear,  when  rightly  employed,  is  the  very 
brightest  state  of  Christianity,  and  is  used  to  express 
all  piety,  comprehended  in  one  emotion.  "  The  fear 
of  God  "  is  the  constant  description  which  the  Scrip- 
ture gives  of  true  religion. 


REMEMBEE  that  the  time  you  have  for  self-ex- 
amination is,  after  all,  very  short.  Soon  thou 
wilt  know  the  great  secret.  I  j)erhaps  may  not 
say  words  rough  enough  to  rend  off  the  mask 
which  thou  hast  now  upon  thee,  but  there  is  one 
called  Death  who  will  stand  no  complement.  You 
may  masquerade  it  out  to-day  in  the  dress  of 
the  saint,  but  death  will  soon  strip  you,  and  you 
must  stand  before  the  judgment-seat  after  death 
has  discovered  you  in  all  your  nakedness,  be  that  na- 
ked  innocence   or   naked    guilt.      Remember,   too, 


264  spukgeon's  gems. 

though  jou  may  deceive  yourself,  you  will  not  de- 
ceive your  God.  You  may  have  light  weights,  and 
the  beam  of  the  scale  in  which  you  weigh  yourself 
may  not  be  honest,  and  may  not  therefore  tell  the 
truth  ;  but  when  God  shall  try  you  he  will  make  no 
allowances  ;  when  the  everlasting  Jehovah  grasps  the 
balances  of  justice  and  puts  his  law  into  one  scale,  ah, 
sinner,  how  wilt  thou  tremble  when  he  shall  put  thee 
into  the  other ;  for  unless  Christ  be  thy  Christ  thou 
wilt  be  found  light  weight — ^thou  wilt  be  weighed  in 
the  balances  and  found  wanting,  and  be  cast  away 
forever. 


M'EN  who  are  passionate  and  swift  in  anger  give  a 
word  and  a  blow ;  sometimes  the  blow  first  and 
the  word  afterwards.  Oftentimes  kings,  when  subj  ects 
have  rebelled  against  them,  have  crushed  them  first, 
and  then  reasoned  with  them  afterwards ;  they  have 
given  no  time  of  threatening,  no  period  of  repent- 
ance ;  they  have  allowed  no  space  for  turning  to  their 
allegiance ;  they  have  at  once  crushed  them  in  their 
hot  displeasure,  making  a  full  end  of  them.  'Not  so 
God:  he  will  not  cut  down  the  tree  that  doth 
much  cumber  the  ground,  until  he  hath  digged  about 
it,  and  dunged  it ;  he  will  not  at  once  slay  the  man 
whose  character  is  the  most  vile  ;  until  he  has  first 
hewn  him  by  the  prophets  he  will  not  hew  him  by 
judgments ;  he  will  warn  the  sinner  ere  he  condemn 


spuegeon's  gems.  265 

Mm ;  lie  will  send  his  prophets,  "rising  np  early  and 
late,"  giving  him  "  line  upon  line,  and  precept  upon 
precept,  here  a  little  and  there  a  little."  He  will 
not  smite  the  city  without  warning ;  Sodom  shall  not 
perish,  until  Lot  hath  been  within  her.  The  world 
shall  not  be  drowned,  until  eight  prophets  hath  been 
preaching  in  it,  and  ISToah,  the  eighth,  cometh  to 
prophesy  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  He  will  not 
smite  Nineveh  till  he  hath  sent  a  Jonah.  He  will 
not  crush  Babylon  till  his  prophets  have  cried 
through  its  streets.  He  will  not  slay  a  man  until  he 
hath  given  many  warnings,  by  sicknesses,  by  the 
pulpit,  by  providence,  and  by  conse<][uences. 


LOOK  back  on  the  paths  of  your  j^ilgrimage.  Some 
of  you  can  count  as  many  Ebenezers  as  there  are 
milestones  from  here  to  York ;  Ebenezers  piled  up, 
with  oil  poured  on  the  top  of  them  ;  places  where  you 
have  said,  "Hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  me." 
Look  through  the  pages  of  your  diary,  and  you  will 
see  time  after  time,  when  your  jDcrils  and  exigencies 
were  such  as  no  earthly  skill  could  relieve,  and  you 
felt  constrained  to  witness  what  others  among  you 
have  never  felt — you  felt  that  there  is  a  God,  that 
there  is  a  Providence — "  a  God  who  compasseth  your 
path,"  and  "  is  acquainted  with  all  your  ways." 

12 


266  spukgeon's  gems. 

EACH  of  God's  saints  is  sent  into  tlie  world  to 
prove  some  part  of  tlie  divine  character.  Per- 
haps I  may  be  one  of  tliose  who  shall  live  in  the 
valley  of  ease,  having  much  rest,  and  hearing  sweet 
birds  of  promise  singing  in  my  ears.  The  air  is  calm 
and  balmy,  the  sheep  are  feeding  ronnd  about  me, 
and  all  is  still  and  quiet.  Well,  then.  I  shall  prove 
the  love  of  God  in  sweet  communings.  Or,  perhaps, 
I  may  be  called  to  stand  where  the  thunder  clouds 
brew,  where  the  lightnings  play,  and  tempestuous 
winds  are  howling  on  the  mountain  top.  Well, 
then,  I  am  born  to  prove  the  power  and  majesty  of 
our  God ;  amid  dangers  he  will  inspire  me  with 
courage ;  amid  toils  he  will  make  me  strong.  Perhaps 
it  shall  be  mine  to  preserve  an  unblemished  charac- 
ter, and  so  prove  the  power  of  sanctifying  grace  in 
not  being  allowed  to  backslide  from  my  professed 
dedication  to  God.  I  shall  then  be  a  proof  of  the 
omnipotent  power  of  grace,  which  alone  can  save 
from  the  power  as  well  as  the  guilt  of  sin.  The 
divers  cases  of  all  the  Lord's  family  are  intended  to 
illustrate  different  parts  of  his  ways  ;  and  in  heaven 
I  do  think  one  part  of  our  blest  employ  will  be  to 
read  the  great  book  of  the  experience  of  all  the 
saints,  and  gather  from  that  book  the  whole  of  the 
divine  character  as  having  been  proved  and  illus- 
trated.    Each  Christian  man  is  a  manifestation  and 


spurgeon's  gems.  267 

display  of  some  position  or  other  of  God ;  a  different 

part  may  belong  to  each  of  us,  but  when  the  whole 

shall  be  combined,  when  all  the  rays  of  evidence 

shall  be  brought,  as  it  were,  into  one  great  sun,  and 

shine  forth  with  meridian  sj^lendor,  we  shall  see  in 

Christian  experience  a  beautiful  revelation  of  our 

God. 

•  •• 

IF  I  once  wandered  on  yon  mountain  top,  and  Jesus 
climbed  up  and  caught  me,  and  put  me  on  his 
shoulders,  and  carried  me  home,  I  cannot  and  dare 
not  doubt  that  he  is  my  shepherd.  If  I  had  belonged 
to  some  other  sheep-owner  he  would  not  have  sought 
me.  And  from  the  fact  that  he  did  seek,  I  learn  that 
he  must  be  my  shepherd.  Did  I  think  any  man  con- 
vinced me  of  sin,  or  that  any  human  power  had  con- 
verted me,  I  should  fear  I  was  that  man's  sheep 
and  that  he  was  my  shepherd.  Could  I  trace  my  de- 
liverance to  the  hand  of  a  creature,  I  should  think 
that  some  creature  might  be  my  shepherd  ;  but  since 
he  who  has  been  reclaimed  of  God  must  and  will 
confess  that  God  alone  has  done  it,  and  will  ascribe 
to  his  free  grace,  and  to  that  alone,  his  deliverance 
from  sin,  such  a  one  will  feel  persuaded  that  the  Lord 
must  be  his  shepherd,  because  he  brought  him,  he 
delivered  him,  he  snatched  him  out  of  the  jaw  of  the 
lion  and  out  of  the  paw  of  the  bear. 


268  6PUKGE0N  S   GEMS. 

GIVE  me  ten  thousand  pounds,  and  one  reverse 
of  fortune  may  scatter  it  all  away  ;  but  let 
me  have  a  spiritual  hold  of  this  divine  assurance — 
"The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  I  shall  not  want" — 
then  I  am  all  right — ^I  am  set  up  for  life.  I  cannot 
break  with  such  stock  as  this  in  hand.  I  never  can 
be  a  bankrupt,  for  I  hold  this  security — "  The  Lord 
is  my  shepherd,  I  shall  not  want."  Do  not  give  me 
ready  money  now ;  give  a  check-book,  and  let  me 
draw  what  I  like.  This  is  what  God  does  with  the 
believer.  He  does  not  immediately  transfer  his  in- 
heritance to  him,  but  lets  him  draw  what  he  needs 
out  of  the  riches  of  his  fullness  in  Christ  Jesus. 


•  •  • 


OBELOYED !  surely  it  wants  but  little  teaching 
in  the  school  of  grace  to  make  out  that  we  our- 
selves are  fools.  True  wisdom  is  sure  to  set  folly  in 
a  strong  light.  I  have  heard  of  a  young  man  who 
went  to  college ;  and  when  he  had  been  therfe  one 
year,  his  parent  said  to  him,  "  What  do  you  know  ? 
Do  you  know  more  than  when  you  went  ?"  "  Oh  ! 
yes,"  said  he,  "  I  do."  Then  he  went  the  second  year, 
and  was  asked  the  same  question — "Do  you  know 
more  than  when  you  went  ?"  "  Oh  !  no,"  said  he,  "  I 
know  a  great  deal  less."  "  "Well,"  said  the  father, 
"  you  are  getting  on."    Then  he  went  the  third  year, 


spuegeon's  gems.  269 

and  was  asked  the  same  question — "  "What  do  you 
know  now  ?"  "  Oh  !"  said  he,  "  I  don't  think  I  know 
anything."  "  That  is  right,"  said  the  father,  "  you 
have  now  learnt  to  profit,  since  you  say  you  know 
nothing."  He  who  is  convinced  that  he  knows  nothing 
of  himself  as  he  ought  to  know,  gives  up  steering  his 
ship,  and  lets  God  put  his  hand  on  the  rudder.  He 
lays  aside  his  own  wisdom,  and  cries,  "  Oh  God !  my 
little  wisdom  is  cast  at  thy  feet ;  my  little  judgment 
is  given  to  thee." 


•  ♦  • 


DO  not  get  despising  the  little  ones  because  they 
have  not  had  so  many  trials  as  you  have.  You 
great  standard  men,  do  not  get  cutting  the  children 
of  God  in  pieces  because  they  have  not  been  in  such 
fights  as  you  have.  The  master  leads  the  sheep  where 
he  pleases,  and  be  sm-e  he  will  lead  them  rightly,  and 
as  long  as  they  can  say  the  word  "  my,"  do  not  trouble 
yourselves  where  they  learned  it — ^if  they  can  say 
from  their  hearts,  "  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  I  shall 
not  want." 


♦  •  • 


SPIEITUAL  mercies  are  good  things,  and  not 
only  good  things,  but  the  best  things,  so  that 
you  may  well  ask  for  them ;  for  if  no  good  things 
will  be  withholden,  much  more  will  none  of  the 
best  things. 


270  spuegeon's  gems. 

¥AES,  confusions,  and  tumults,  are  but  the 
rough  physic  wherewith  God  will  purge  the 
diseased  body  of  this  earth  from  its  innumerable  ills. 
They  are  but  a  terrible  tornado  with  which  God 
shall  sweep  away  the  pestilence  and  fever  that  lurk 
in  the  moral  atmosphere;  they  are  but  the  great 
hammers  with  which  he  breaks  in  pieces  the  gates 
of  brass,  to  make  a  way  for  his  people ;  they  are  but 
the  threshing  wains,  with  which  he  doth  thresh  the 
mountains  and  beat  them  small,  and  make  the  hills 
as  chaff,  that  Israel  may  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  and  that 
the  sons  of  Jacob  may  triumph  in  their  God.  As  it 
hath  been  in  the  beginning,  so  it  shall  be  even  unto 
the  end.  The  noise  and  the  tumult  of  war  in  In- 
dia shall  produce  good;  the  blood  of  our  sisters 
shall  be  avenged,  not  by  the  sword,  but  by  the  gos- 
pel. On  India's  blood-red  gods,  the  arm  of  the 
Lord  shall  yet  be  felt;  the  might  of  him  that  sits 
upon  the  throne  shall  be  acknowledged  by  the  very 
men,  who,  first  in  the  fray,  have  blasphemed  the  God 
of  Israel.  Let  ns  not  fear,  let  us  not  tremble ;  the 
end  of  all  things  cometh  at  last,  and  that  end  shall 
certainly  be  the  desired  one,  and  all  the  wrath  of 
man  shall  not  frustrate  the  designs  of  God.  Tlie 
past  troubles  assure  us  for  the  present,  and  console  us 
for  the  future.  "  Come  behold  the  works  of  the 
Lord,  what  desolations  he  hath  made  in  the  earth." 


spuegeon's  gems.  271 

OH,  when  you  get  to  heaven,  ye  children  of  God, 
will  ye  praise  any  but  your  Master  ?  Calvinists, 
to-day  you  love  John  Calvin ;  will  you  praise  him 
there  ?  Lutheran,  to-day  thou  dost  love  the  memory 
of  that  stern  reformer;  wilt  thou  sing  the  song  of 
Luther  in  heaven  ?  Follower  of  Wesley,  thou  hast  a 
reverence  for  that  evangelist ;  wilt  thou  in  heaven 
have  a  note  for  John  Wesley  ?  JSTone,  none,  none  ! 
Giving  up  all  names  and  all  honors  of  men,  the  strain 
shall  rise  in  undivided  and  unjarring  unison  "  unto 
him  that  loved  us,  that  washed  us  from  our  sins  in 
his  blood,  unto  him  be  glory  forever  and  ever." 


r'  seems  that  everything  Christ-like  must  have  a 
history  like  that  of  Christ.  His  beginnings  were 
small — the  manger  and  the  stable.  So  with  the  be- 
ginnings of  that  society  which  we  love,  and  which 
we  believe  to  be  the  very  incarnation  of  the  Spirit 
of  Christ.  Its  beginnings  also  were  small ;  but  its 
latter  end  shall  doubtless  greatly  increase — ^for,  hath 
not  the  end  of  Christ  become  exceedingly  glorious? 
He  hath  ascended  up  on  high  ;  he  sitteth  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,  our  Father,  and  doubtless  this 
agency  which  God  now  emjjloyeth  for  the  conver- 
sion of  the  world,  shall  have  its  ascension,  and  God 
shall  greatly  magnify  it.     But  as  Christ  was  called 


272  spuegeon's  gems. 

to  suffer,  so  must  everything  Clirist-like  suffer  with 
him.  The  Christian  who  is  the  most  like  his  Mas- 
ter will  understand  the  most  of  the  meaning  of  that 
term,  "  fellowship  with  him  in  his  sufferings ;"  and 
inasmuch  as  the  Missionary  Society  is  like  Christ, 
and  hath  Christ's  heart  and  Christ's  aim,  it  also  must 
suffer  like  Jesus.  This  year  we  have  been  made  to 
sip  of  that  cup.  The  blood  of  our  martyrs  has 
been  shed ;  our  confessors  have  witnessed  to  the  faith 
of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  at  the  hands  of  bloodthirsty  and 
cruel  men  they  have  met  their  fate,  and  again  the 
seed  of  the  church  has  been  sown  in  the  blood  of  the 
martyred  saint. 


I  BEG  you  read  the  page  of  history,  and  mark 
the  various  catastroj)hes  which  have  happened  to 
this  world;  and  I  appeal  to  you,  as  persons  who 
have  understanding,  and  who  can  trace  the  Lord's 
hand  in  these  matters — ^have  not  all  these  things 
worked  together  for  good?  and  hitherto,  have  not 
the  revolutions,  the  destruction  of  em23ires,.and  the 
fall  of  dynasties,  been  eminent  helps  to  the  progress 
of  the  gospel  ?  Far  be  it  from  us  to  lay  the  blood  of 
men  at  God's  door.  Let  us  not  for  one  moment  be 
guilty  of  any  thought  that  the  sin  and  the  iniquity 
which  have  brought  war  into  the  world  is  of  God ; 
but,  at  the  same  time,  as  firm  believers  in  the  doc- 


SPURGEON'S    GEMS.  273 

trine  of  predestination,  and  as  firmly  holding  the 
great  truth  of  a  Divine  providence,  we  must  hold 
that  God  is  the  anthor  of  the  darkness  as  well  as  of 
the  light — that  he  creates  the  providential  evil  as 
well  as  the  good — that  while  he  sendeth  the  shower 
from  on  high,  he  also  is  the  father  of  the  devastating 
storm.  Oh !  I  say,  then,  come  and  see  the  Lord's 
hand  in  "Aceldama,  the  field  of  blood."  Come  ye, 
and  behold  the  Lord's  hand  in  every  shake  of  the 
pillars  of  the  constitutions  of  the  monarchies  of  earth. 
See  the  Lord's  hand  in  the  rumbling  of  every  tower 
and  the  tumbling  down  of  every  pinnacle  which 
had  aspired  to  heaven.  For  he  hath  done  it — ^he 
hath  done  it !     God  is  present  everywhere. 


I  HA  YE  a  fond  belief  that  the  day  is  coming, 
when  Nelson,  on  the  top  of  his  monument,  shall 
be  upset,  and  Mr.  Whitfield  set  there,  or  the  apostle 
Paul.  I  believe  that  ISTapier,  who  stands  in  the 
square  there,  will  lose  his  station.  We  shall  say 
about  these  men,  "  They  were  very  respectable  men 
in  the  days  of  our  forefathers,  who  did  not  know 
better  than  to  kill  one  another,  but  we  do  not  care 
for  them  now !"  Up  goes  John  Wesley,  where  stood 
Kapier !  Away  goes  some  one  else,  who  was  an 
earnest  preacher  of  the  gospel,  to  occuj^y  the  place 
high  over  the  gate  where  another  warrior  rides  upon 

12* 


274  sptjegeon's  gems. 

his  horse.  All  these  things,  the  trickeiy  of  an  igno- 
rant age,  the  gewgaws  of  a  people  who  loved  blood- 
shed despite  their  profession  of  religion,  must  yet  be 
broken  up  for  old  iron  and  old  brass ;  every  statne 
that  stands  in  London  shall  yet  be  sold,  and  the  price 
thereof  cast  at  the  apostles'  feet,  that  they  may  make 
distribution  as  every  man  hath  need.  "Wars  must 
cease,  and  every  place  where  war  reigneth  and  hath 
now  its  glory,  must  yet  pass  away,  and  fade  and 
wither.  We  give  all  honor  to  these  men  now,  for 
these  are  the  days  of  our  ignorance,  and  God  in  some 
degree  winketh  at  us ;  but  when  the  gospel  spreads 
we  shall  then  find,  that  when  every  heart  is  full  of  it, 
it  will  be  impossible  for  us  to  tolerate  the  very 
name  of  war ;  for  when  God  has  broken  the  bow, 
and  burned  the  chariot,  we  shall  break  the  image 
and  dash  the  sculpture  into  a  thousand  atoms.  We 
shall  think,  when  the  trade  is  done,  the  men  that  did 
it  may  well  be  forgotten. 

— •-•-• — 


THAT  maniac  nonsense  about  God  doing  his  own 
work  and  our  sitting  still  and  doing  nothing, 
ought  to  have  been  buried  long  ago.  I  know  not 
how  to  characterize  it:  it  has  done  us  immense 
damage.  We  know  that  God  has  accomj)lished  his 
own  work;  but  he  always  has  worked  and  always 
will  work  with  means. 


spukgeon's  gems.  275 

YOU  know  that  in  Solomon's  temple  there  was  no 
sound  of  hammer  heard ;  for  the  stones  were 
made  ready  in  the  quarries,  and  brought  all  shaped 
and  marked  so  that  the  masons  might  know  the  ex- 
act spot  in  which  they  were  to  be  placed  ;  so  that  no 
sound  of  iron  was  needed.  All  the  planks  and  tim- 
bers were  carried  to  their  right  places,  and  all  the 
catches  with  which  they  were  to  be  linked  together 
were  prepared,  so  that  there  might  not  be  even  the 
driving  of  a  nail — everything  was  ready  beforehand. 
It  is  the  same  with  us.  When  we  get  to  heaven, 
there  will  be  no  sanctifying  us  there,  no  squaring  us 
with  affliction,  no  hammering  us  with  the  rod,  no 
making  us  meet  there.  We  must  be  made  meet 
here  ;  and  blessed  be  his  name,  all  that  Christ  will 
do  beforehand.  When  we  get  there,  we  shall  not 
need  angels  to  put  this  member  of  the  Church  in  one 
place,  and  that  member  in  another ;  Christ  who 
brought  the  stones  from  the  quarry  and  made  them 
ready,  shall  himself  place  the  people  in  their  inheri- 
tance in  paradise.  For  he  has  himself  said,  "  I  go  to 
prepare  a  place  for  you,  and  if  I  go  away,  I  will  come 
again  and  1  will  receive  you  unto  myself."  Christ 
shall  be  his  own  usher ;  he  shall  receive  his  people 
himself ;  he  shall  stand  at  the  gates  of  heaven  him- 
self to  take  his  own  people,  and  to  put  them  in  their 
alloted  heritage  in  the  land  of  the  blessed. 


276  spuegeon's  gems. 

IEEMEMBEE  Edward  L-ving  once  preached  a 
sermon  to  a  vast  congregation,  upon  missions ;  I 
tliink  lie  preaclied  for  four  liours  ;  and  the  object  of 
the  sermon  was  to  prove  that  we  were  all  wrong — 
that  we  ought  to  send  out  our  missionaries  without 
purse  or  scrip,  giving  them  nothing  !  Edward  never 
volunteered  to  go  himself !  If  he  had  done  so  at  the 
end  of  the  sermon,  we  might  have  indorsed  his  phi- 
losophy. But  he  stayed  at  home,  and  did  not  go. 
/GSTow,  we  are  no  believers  in  that.  "We  think  that  if 
/  a  man  cannot  have  helj),  it  is  his  business  to  go 
I  without  it.  If  a  man  loves  the  ministry,  if  he  can 
only  preach  Christ's  gospel  in  poverty,  God  bless 
him  in  his  poverty ;  if  he  has  to  be  a  tent-maker, 
like  Paul,  and  to  work  for  his  own  living,  and  to  go 
forth  without  purse  or  scrip !  But  as  a  church  we 
cannot  have  that.  "  'No,  no,"  we  say,  "  brother,  if 
you  are  going  to  a  foreign  land,  and  you  give  your 
life  and  health,  and  if  you  renounce  the  comforts  of 
your  family,  we  cannot  let  you  go  without  anything. 
The  least  we  Can  do  is  to  ]3rovide  for  your  needs." 
And  one  says,  "There!  though  you  go  without 
purse  or  scrip,  you  cannot  get  across  the  sea  except 
you  have  a  ship  j  I  will  pay  your  passage-money." 
Another  says,  "  You  cannot  preach  to  these  j^eople 
without  learning  the  language ;  and  while  you  are 
learning  the  language  you  must  eat  and  di-ink.     It  is 


spukgeon's  gems.  277 

quite  impossible  that  you  can  live  by  faith,  unless 
you  have  something  that  you  can  nourish  your 
body  with :  there  is  the  fund  to  suj^port  you,  that 
you  may  give  all  your  time  to  the  preaching  of  the 
Word."  Ah !  if  we  did  but  love  Christ  better,  my 
brothers  and  sisters,  if  we  lived  nearer  to  the  cross, 
if  we  knew  more  of  the  value  of  his  blood,  if  we 
wept  like  him  over  Jerusalem,  if  we  felt  more  what 
it  was  for  souls  to  perish,  and  what  it  was  for  men  to 
be  saved — if  we  did  but  rejoice  with  Christ  in  the 
prospect  of  his  seeing  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and 
being  abundantly  satisfied — if  we  did  but  delight 
more  in  the  divine  decree,  that  the  kingdoms  of  this 
world  BJiall  be  given  to  Christ,  I  am  sui-e  we  should 
all  of  us  find  more  ways  and  more  means  for  the 
sending  forth  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 


IF  you  would  find  God,  he  dwelleth  on  every  hill- 
top, and  in  every  valley ;  God  is  everywhere  in 
creation ;  but  if  you  want  a  special  display  of  him, 
if  you  would  know  what  is  the  secret  place  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  Most  High,  the  inner  chamber  of 
divinity,  you  must  go  where  you  find  the  church  of 
true  believers,  for  it  is  here  he  makes  his  con- 
tinual residence  known— in  the  hearts  of  the  humble 
and  contrite,  who  tremble  at  his  word. 


278  spuegeon's  gems. 

C HEIST  lias  made  the  plan  of  Ms  Church.  You 
and  I  have  made  a  great  mauy  plans  for  the 
building  up  of  that  Church.  The  Presbyterian 
makes  his  plans  extremely  precise.  He  will  put  an 
elder  in  every  corner,  and  the  Presbytery  is  the 
great  ground-work — ^the  pillar  and  the  ground  of  the 
truth ;  and  right  is  he  in  so  doing  to  an  extent.  The 
Episcopalian  builds  his  temple  too.  He  will  have  a 
bishop  at  the  door-post,  and  he  will  have  a  priest  to 
shut  the  gate.  He  will  have  everything  built 
according  to  the  model  that  was  seen  by  Cranmer  in 
the  mount,  if  he  ever  was  there  at  all.  And  those 
of  us  who  are  of  a  severer  discipline,  and  have  a 
simpler  style,  must  have  Christ's  Chm-ch  always 
built  in  the  congregational  order :  every  congi'ega- 
tion  distinct  and  separate,  and  governed  by  its  own 
bishop,  and  deacons,  and  elders.  But  mark,  Christ 
does  not  attend  to  our  points  of  church-government, 
for  there  is  one  part  of  Christ's  Church  that  is  Epis- 
copalian, and  looks  as  if  a  bishop  of  the  Church  of 
England  had  ordered  it ;  another  part  is  Presby- 
terian ;  another  Baptist ;  another  Congregational ; 
and  yet  all  these  styles  of  architecture  somehow,  fused 
into  one  by  the  Great  Ai'chitect,  make  that  goodly 
structure  which  is  called  "the  temple  of  Christ,  the 
Church  of  the  living  God,  the  pillar  and  ground  of 
truth." 


sphrgeon's  gems.  279 

HAPPY  the  day  when  every  war-horse  shall  be 
houghed,  when  every  spear  shall  become  a 
pruning-hook,  and  every  sword  shall  be  made  to  till 
the  soil  which  once  it  stained  with  blood.  It  is  of 
that  my  text  prophesies,  and  my  text  naturally 
brings  me  to  that,  as  the  great  climax  of  the  gospel 
disjDensation.  This  will  be  the  last  triumph  of 
Christ ;  before  death  itself  shall  be  dead  ;  death's 
great  jackal,  war,  must  die  also,  and  then  shall 
there  be  peace  on  earth,  and  the  angel  shall  say,  "  I 
have  gone  up  and  down  through  the  earth,  and  the 
earth  sitteth  still  and  is  at  rest ;  I  heard  no  tumult 
of  war  nor  noise  of  battle."  This  is  what  we  hope 
for.    Let  us  fight  on  with  diligence  and  earnestness. 


HE  A  YEN  singe  th  evermore.  Before  the  throne 
of  God,  angels  and  redemeed  saints  extol  his 
name.  And  this  world  is  singing  too  ;  sometimes 
with  the  loud  noise  of  the  rolling  thunder,  of  the 
boiling  sea,  of  the  dashing  cataract,  and  of  the  low- 
ing cattle ;  and  often  with  that  still,  solemn  har- 
mony, which  floweth  from  the  vast  creation,  when  in 
its  silence  it  praiseth  God.  Such  is  the  song  which 
gushes  in  silence  from  the  mountain  lifting  its  head 
to  the  sky,  covering  its  face  sometimes  witli  the 
wings  of  mist,  and  at  other  times  unveiling  its  snow- 


280  spuegeon's  gems. 

white  brow  before  its  Maker,  and  reflecting  back  his 
sunshine,  gratefully  thanking  him  for  the  light  with 
which  it  has  been  made  to  glisten,  and  for  the  glad- 
ness of  which  it  is  the  solitary  spectator,  as  in  its 
grandeur  it  looks  down  upon  the  laughing  valleys. 
The  tune  to  which  heaven  and  earth  are  set,  is  the 
same.  In  heaven  they  sing,  "  The  Lord  be  exalted  ; 
let  his  name  be  magnified  forever."  And  the  earth 
singeth  the  same  :  "  Great  art  thou  in  thy  works, 
O  Lord !  and  unto  thee  be  glory." 


JESUS  CHEIST  excels  Solomon,  for  he  provides  all 
the  mterials.  He  hews  them  himself ;  he  rough- 
casts them  first,  and  then  afterwards,  during  life, 
polishes  them  till  he  makes  them  ready  to  transport 
them  to  the  hill  of  God,  whereon  his  temple  is  to  be 
built.  I  was  thinking  what  a  pretty  figure  was  that 
floating  of  the  trees  of  Lebanon  after  being  sawn  into 
planks  and  made  ready  to  be  fixed  as  pillars  of  the 
temple — what  a  fine  emblem  of  death  !  Is  it  not  just 
so  with  us  ?  Here  we  grow,  and  are  at  length  cut 
down,  and  made  ready  to  become  pillars  of  the  tem- 
ple. Across  the  stream  of  death,  we  are  ferried  by  a 
loving  hand,  and  brought  to  the  port  of  Jerusalem, 
where  we  are  safely  landed,  to  go  no  more  out  for- 
ever, but  to  abide  as  eternal  pillars  in  the  temple  of 


bptjugeon's  gems.  281 

our  Lord.  !N'ow,  jou  know,  the  Tji'ians  floated  these 
rafts ;  but  no  stranger,  no  foreigner  shall  float  tis 
across  the  stream  of  death.  It  is  remarkable  that 
Jesus  Christ  always  uses  expressions  with  regard  to 
his  people,  which  impute  their  death  to  him  alone. 
You  will  recollect  the  expression  in  the  Revelation — 
"  Thrust  in  thy  sickle,  and  reap  :  for  the  time  is  come 
for  thee  to  reap  ;  for  the  harvest  of  the  earth  is  ripe." 
But  when  he  begins  to  reap,  not  the  vintage,  which 
represents  the  wicked  that  were  to  be  crushed,  but 
the  harvest  which  represents  the  godlj ;  then  it  is 
said,  "  He  that  sat  upon  the  throne  thrust  in  the 
sickle."  He  did  not  leave  it  to  his  angels,  he  did  it 
himself.  It  is  so  with  the  bringing  of  those  planks, 
and  the  moving  of  those  stones.  I  say  no  king  of 
Tyre  and  Sidon  shall  do  it ;  Jesus  Christ,  who  on  the 
death  of  death  and  hell's  destruction,  himself  shall 
pilot  us  across  the  stream,  and  land  us  safe  on 
Canaan's  side.  "He  shall  build  the  temple  of  the 
Lord." 


•  •  • 


AFFLICTIONS  cannot  sanctify  us,  except  as  they 
are  used  by  Christ,  as  his  mallet  and  his  chisel. 
Our  joys  and  our  eff'orts  cannot  make  us  ready  for 
heaven,  apart  from  the  hand  of  Jesus  who  fashioneth 
our  hearts  aright,  and  prepareth  us  to  be  partakers 
of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  Light. 


282  sptiegeon's  gems. 

THE  man  who  comes  between  two  belligerents, 
and  bears  tlie  stroke  himself — the  man  who  will 
lie  down  on  the  earth,  and  plead  with  others  that 
they  wonld  cease  from  warfare — these  are  the  blessed. 
How  rarely  are  they  set  on  high.  They  are  generally 
set  aside,  as  people  who  cannot  be  blessed,  even 
thongh  it  seem  that  they  try  to  make  others  so.  Here 
is  the  world  tnrned  npside  down.  The  warrior  with 
his  garment  stained  in  blood,  is  put  into  the  ignoble 
earth,  to  die  and  rot ;  but  the  peace-maker  is  lifted 
up,  and  God's  crown  of  blessing  is  put  round  about 
his  head,  and  men  one  day  shall  see  it,  and  struck 
with  admiration  they  shall  lament  their  own  folly, 
that  they  exalted  the  blood-red  sword  of  the  warrior, 
but  that  they  did  rend  the  modest  mantle  of  the  man 
who  did  make  peace  among  mankind. 


BRroG  me  here  a  Hottentot,  or  a  man  from  Kam- 
schatka,  a  wild  savage  who  has  never  listened  to 
the  Word.  That  man  may  have  every  sin  in  the  cata- 
logue of  guilt  except  one  ;  but  that  one  I  am  sure  he 
has  not.  He  has  not  the  sin  of  rejecting  the  gospel 
when  it  is  preached  to  him.  But  you,  when  you  hear 
the  gospel,  have  an  opportunity  of  committing  a  fresh 
sin ;  and  if  you  have  rejected  it,  you  have  added  a 
fresh  iniquity  to  all  those  others  that  hang  about  your 
neck. 


spuegeon's  gems.  283 

I  SUPPOSE  there  is  scarce  a  kingdom  of  the 
world  where  jou  do  not  see  God's  handiwork  in 
crushing  his  enemies.  It  is  to  the  shame  of  the 
idolater  that  he  worships  a  God  that  his  fathers  knew 
not.  Although  there  be  some  hoary  systems  of 
iniquity ;  in  most  cases  the  system  is  still  new — new 
compared  with  the  giant  mountains,  the  first-born  of 
nature — new  compared  with  those  old  idolatries  that 
have  long  since  died  away  in  the  clouds  of  forgetful- 
ness.  It  seems  to  me  to  be  a  very  pleasing  theme 
for  us  to  speak  of  these  desolations  that  God  has 
made.  For  mark  this — again  we  say  it — as  it  was  in 
the  beginning,  it  is  now,  and  forever  shall  be.  The 
false  gods  shall  yet  yield  their  sway;  the  temples 
shall  yet  be  unroofed  ;  their  houses  shall  be  burned 
with  fire,  and  their  names  shall  be  left  for  a  re- 
proach ;  their  dignity  shall  not  be  honored,  neither 
shall  homage  be  given  nnto  their  name. 


AH !  what  a  host  of  thoughts  cluster  around  the 
dying-bed  of  a  child  whom  we  have  taught. 
ISText  to  the  father  and  the  mother,  I  should  think  the 
Sabbath-school  teacher  will  take  the  most  interest  in 
the  dying  one.  You  will  recollect,  "  There  lies  with- 
ering the  flower  which  my  hand  hath  watered ;  there 
is  an  immortal  soul  about  to  pass  the  portals  of 
eternity,  whom  I  have  taught." 


284:  spurgeon's  gems. 

WHAT  a  dreadful  thing  it  must  be  to  be  an  un- 
faithful preacher  on  a  dying-bed.  (Oh  that  I 
may  be  saved  from  that !)  To  be  upon  one's  bed 
when  life  is  over ;  to  have  had  great  opportunities, 
mighty  congregations,  and  to  have  been  so  diligent 
about  something  else  as  to  have  neglected  to  preach 
the  full  and  free  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ! 
methinks  as  I  laid  in  my  bed  a-dying,  I  should  see 
spectres  and  grim  things  in  the  room.  One  would 
come  and  stare  upon  me  and  say,  "  Ah !  you  are 
dying.  Hemember  how  many  times  I  sat  in  the  front 
of  the  gallery,  and  listened  to  you,  but  you  never 
once  told  me  to  escape  from  the  wrath  to  come ;  you 
were  talking  to  me  about  something  I  did  not  under- 
stand ;  but  the  simple  matter  of  the  gospel  you  never 
preached  to  me,  and  I  died  in  doubt  and  trembling. 
And  now  you  are  coming  to  me  to  the  hell  which  I 
have  inherited  because  you  were  unfaithful."  And 
when  in  your  grey  and  dying  age  we  see  the  genera- 
tions which  have  grown  up  around  our  pulpits,  we 
shall  think  of  them  all.  We  shall  think  of  the  time 
when  as  striplings  we  first  began  to  preach  ;  we  shall 
recollect  the  youths  that  then  crowded,  then  the  men, 
and  then  the  grey  heads  that  passed  away.  And 
methinks  as  they  come  on  in  grim  procession,  they 
will  everyone  leave  a  fresh  curse  upon  our  conscience 
because  we  were  unfaithful.    The  death-bed  of  a  man 


spubgeon's  gems.  285 

who  lias  murdered  his  fellows,  of  some  grim  tyrant 
who  has  let  the  bloodhounds  of  war  loose  upon  man- 
kind, must  be  an  awful  thing.  When  the  soldier, 
and  the  soldier's  widow,  and  the  murdered  man  of 
peace  rise  up  before  him  ;  when  the  smoke  of  devas- 
tated countries  seems  to  blow  into  his  eyes  and  make 
them  sore  and  red  ;  when  the  blood  of  men  hangs  on 
his  conscience  like  a  great  red  pall ;  when  bloody 
murder,  the  grim  chamberlain,  draws  red  curtains 
round  his  bed,  and  when  he  begins  to  approach  the 
last  end  where  the  murderer  must  inherit  his  dreary 
doom,  it  must  be  a  fearful  time  indeed.  But,  me- 
thinks  to  have  mui'dered  souls  must  be  more  awful 
still — to  have  distributed  poison  to  children  instead  of 
bread,  to  have  given  them  stones  when  they  asked 
us  for  right  food,  to  have  taught  them  error  when  we 
ouo^ht  to  have  tauo^ht  them  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus, 
or  to  have  spoken  to  them  with  cold  listlessness 
when  earnestness  was  needed. 


•  •» 


AS  long  as  there  is  a  particle  of  selfishness  remain- 
ing in  us,  it  will  mar  our  sweet  enjoyment  of 
Christ ;  and  until  we  get  a  complete  riddance  of  it, 
our  joy  will  never  be  unmixed  with  grief.  We  must 
diof  at  the  roots  of  our  selfishness  to  find  the  worm 
which  eats  om*  happiness. 


286  bpukgeon's  gems. 

TWO  men  go  up  to  tlie  temple  to  praj,  tlie  one  a 
believer,  tlie  other  an  unbeliever.  He  that  is 
an  unbeliever  may  have  the  gifts  of  oratory,  the 
mightiest  fluency  of  speech,  but  his  prayer  is  an 
abomination  unto  God,  whilst  the  feeblest  utterance 
of  the  true  believer  is  received  with  smiles  by  him 
that  sits  uj)on  the  throne.  Two  persons  go  to  the 
Master's  table — ^the  one  loveth  the  ordinance  in  its 
outward  sign,  and  reverenceth  it  with  superstition, 
but  he  knows  not  Christ ;  the  other  believes  in 
Jesus,  and  knows  how  to  eat  his  flesh  and  drink  his 
blood  as  a  worthy  partaker  in  that  divine  ordinance ; 
God  is  honored  in  the  one,  the  ordinance  is  dis- 
honored in  the  other. 


•  t  > 


IT  seems  to  me,  that  every  Sunday-school  teacher 
has  a  right  to  put  "  Reverend "  before  his  name 
as  much  as  I  have,  or  if  not,  if  he  discharges  his  trust 
he  certainly  is  a  "  Kight  Honorable."  He  teaches 
his  congregation  and  preaches  to  his  class..  I  may 
preach  to  more,  and  he  to  less,  but  still  he  is  doing 
the  same  work,  though  in  a  smaller  sphere.  I  am 
sure  I  can  sympathize  with  Mr.  Carey,  when  he  said 
of  his  son  Felix,  who  left  the  missionary  work  to  be- 
come an  ambassador,  "Felix  has  drivelled  into  an 
ambassador;"  meaning  to  say,  that  he  was  once  a 


spuegeon's  gems.  287 

great  person  as  a  missionary,  but  that  lie  had  after- 
wards accepted  a  comparatively  insignificant  office. 
So  I  think  we  may  say  of  the  Sabbath-school  teacher, 
if  he  gives  up  his  work  because  he  cannot  attend  to 
it,  on  account  of  his  enlarged  business,  he  drivels  into 
a  rich  merchant.  K  he  forsakes  his  teaching  because 
he  finds  there  is  so  much  else  to  do,  he  drivels  into 
something  less  than  he  was  before  ;  with  one  excep- 
tion, if  he  is  obliged  to  give  up  to  attend  to  his  own 
family,  and  makes  that  family  his  Sabbath-school 
class,  there  is  no  drivelling  there ;  he  stands  in  the 
same  position  as  he  did  before. 


•  •• 


HAYE  you  not  noticed  how  magnificently  peace 
winneth  its  reprisals  at  the  hands  of  war? 
Look  through  this  country.  Methinks  if  the  angel 
of  peace  should  go  with  us,  as  we  journey  through 
it,  and  stop  at  the  various  ancient  towns,  where 
there  are  dismantled  castles,  and  high  mounds  from 
which  every  vestige  of  a  building  has  long  been 
swept,  the  angel  would  look  us  in  the  face,  and  say, 
"  I  have  done  all  this :  war  scattered  my  peaceful 
subjects,  burned  down  my  cottages,  ravaged  my 
temples,  and  laid  my  mansions  with  the  dust.  But 
I  have  attacked  war  in  his  own  strongholds  and  I 
have  routed  him.     "Walk  through  his  halls.     Can 


288  SPUEGEON  8   GEMS. 

jou  hear  now  tlie  tramp  of  the  warrior?  Where 
now  the  sound  of  the  clarion  and  the  drum  ?"  The 
sheep  is  feeding  from  the  cannon's  mouth,  and  the 
bird  builds  his  nest  where  once  the  warrior  did  hang 
his  helmet.  As  rare  curiosities  we  dig  up  the 
swords  and  spears  of  our  forefathers,  and  little  do  we 
reck  that  in  this  we  are  doing  tribute  to  peace. 
For  peace  is  the  conqueror.  It  hath  been  a  long 
duel,  and  much  blood  hath  been  shed ;  but  peace 
hath  been  the  victor.  "War,  after  all,  has  but  spas- 
modic triumphs ;  and  again  it  sinks — it  dies ;  but 
peace  ever  reigneth.  If  she  be  driven  from  one 
part  of  the  earth,  jet  she  dwelleth  in  another ;  and 
while  war,  with  busy  hand,  is  piling  up  here  a  wall, 
and  there  a  rampart,  and  there  a  tower,  peace — with 
her  gentle  finger,  is  covering  o'er  the  castle  with  the 
moss  and  the  ivj,  and  casting  the  stone  from  the  top, 
and  letting  it  lie  level  with  the  earth. 


A  HEEDLESS  spirit  is  a  curse  to  the  soul ;  a  rash, 
presumptuous  conversation  will  eat  as  doth  a 
canker.  "Too-bold"  was  never  Too-wise  nor  Too- 
loving.  Careful  walking  is  one  of  the  best  securities 
of  safe  and  happy  standing.  It  is  solemn  cause  for 
doubting  when  we  are  indifferent  in  our  behavior  to 
our  best  Friend. 


spurgeon's  gems.  289 

OH!  thou  that  fearest  for  the  ark  of  the  Lord; 
thou  that  tremblest  at  the  firmness  with  which 
falsehood  keeps  its  throne :  look  thou  on  these 
desolations  and  be  of  good  cheer ;  God  hath  done 
mighty  things,  and  njd  will  do  them  yet  again. 
On-e  can  never  pass,  even  in  our  own  country, 
a  ruined  abbey,  or  a  destroyed  priory,  or  an  old 
broken  down  cathedral,  without  a  sweet  satis- 
faction. They  are  fair  ruins,  all  the  fairer  because 
they  are  ruined,  because  their  inhabitants  are  forgot- 
ten, because  the  monk  no  longer  prowls  our  streets, 
because  the  nun,  though  she  is  here  and  there  to 
be  found,  yet  is  no  more  honored,  because  the  apos- 
tate church  to  which  they  belong  has  ceased  to  have 
power  among  us,  as  once  it  had. 


•  •• 


EYERY  stone  that  is  in  the  temple,  Jesus  Christ 
ordained  should  be  put  where  it  is ;  even  those 
stones  that  are  most  contemptible  and  unseen,  were 
put  in  their  places  by  him.  There  is  not  one  board 
of  cedar,  one  piece  of  burnished  pinnacle,  that  was 
not  foreseen  and  pre-arranged  in  that  eternal  cove- 
nant of  grace  which  was  the  great  plan  that  Christ, 
the  Almighty  Architect,  did  draw  for  the  building 
of  the  temple  to  his  praise. 

13 


290  spukgeon's  gems. 

nUPPOSE  some  one  entering  heaven  were  to  say 
^  to  the  redeemed,  "  Suspend  jonr  songs  for  a  mo- 
ment !  Ye  have  been  praising  Christ,  lo,  these  six 
thousand  years  ;  many  of  you  have  without  cessation 
praised  him  now  these  many  centuries  !  Stop  your 
song  a  moment ;  pause  and  give  your  songs  to  some 
one  else  for  an  instant."  Oh,  can  you  conceive  the 
scorn  with  which  the  myriad  eyes  of  the  redeemed 
would  smite  the  tempter?  "  Stop  from  praising  him ! 
No,  never.  Time  may  stop,  for  it  shall  be  no  more  ; 
the  world  may  stop,  for  its  revolutions  must  cease ; 
the  universe  may  stop  its  cycles  and  the  movings  of 
its  world,  but  for  us  to  stop  oiir  songs — never, 
never!" — and  it  shall  be  said,  "Hallelujah,  halle- 
jah,  hallelujah,  the  Lord  God  Omnipotent  reigneth  !" 


LAUGH  at  religion  now  !  scoff  at  Christ  now  !  now 
that  the  angels  are  gathering  for  the  judgment ; 
now  that  the  trumpet  sounds  exceedingly  loud  and 
long ;  now  that  the  heavens  are  red  with  fire,  that 
the  great  furnace  of  hell  o'erleaps  its  boundary,  and 
is  about  to  encircle  thee  in  its  flame ;  now  despise 
religion !  Ah !  no.  I  see  thee.  iNow  thy  stiff 
knees  are  bending,  now  thy  bold  forehead  for  the 
first  time  is  covered  with  hot  sweat  of  trembling,  now 
thine  eyes  that  once  were  full  of  scorn  are  full  of 


SPUHaEON's   GEMS.  291 

tears ;  thou  dost  look  on  him  whom  thou  didst  de- 
spise, and  thou  art  weeping  for  thy  sin.  O  sinner,  it 
will  be  too  late  then ;  there  is  no  cutting  of  the  stone 
after  it  gets  to  Jerusalem.  Where  thou  fallest  there 
thou  liest.  Where  judgment  finds  thee,  there  eter- 
nity shall  leave  thee.  Time  shall  be  no  more  when 
judgment  comes,  and  when  time  is  no  more,  change 
is  impossible  !  In  eternity  there  can  be  no  change, 
no  deliverance,  no  signing  of  acquittal.  Once  lost, 
lost  forever ;  once  damned,  damned  to  all  eternity. 


CHRIST  must  be  his  own  architect.  He  will  bring 
out  different  points  of  truth  in  different  ways. 
Why,  I  believe  that  different  denominations  are  sent 
on  purpose  to  set  out  different  truths.  There  are 
some  of  our  brethren  a  little  too  high,  they  bring 
out  better  than  any  other  people  the  grand  old 
truths  of  sovereign  grace.  Tliere  are  some,  on  the 
other  hand,  a  little  too  low ;  they  bring  out  with 
great  clearness  the  great  and  truthful  doctrines  of 
man's  responsibility.  So  that  two  truths  that  might 
have  been  neglected,  either  the  one  or  the  other,  if 
only  one  form  of  Christianity  existed,  are  both 
brought  out,  both  made  resplendent,  by  the  different 
denominations  of  God's  people,  who  are  alike  chosen 
of  God,  and  precious  to  him. 


292  SFUEGEON  S   GEMS. 

THE  man  whose  soul  is  saturated  with  grate- 
ful affection  to  his  crucified  Lord  will  weep 
when  the  enemy  seems  to  get  an  advantage ;  he 
will  water  his  couch  with  tears  when  he  sees  a 
declining  church ;  he  will  lift  up  his  voice  like 
a  trumpet  to  arouse  the  slumbering,  and  with 
his  own  hand  will  labor  day  and  night  to  build 
up  the  breaches  of  Zion ;  raid  should  his  efforts 
be  successful,  with  what  joyous  gratitude  will  he 
lift  up  his  heart  unto  the  Eang  of  Israel,  extol- 
ling him  as  much — ^yea,  more — ^for  mercies  given 
to  the  Church  than  for  bounties  conferred  upon 
himself. 


LOYE  to  Christ  smooths  the  path  of  duty, 
and  wings  the  feet  to  travel  it :  it  is  the 
bow  which  impels  the  arrow  of  obedience ;  it  is 
the  mainspring  moving  the  wheels  of  duty ;  it  is 
the  strong  arm  tugging  the  oar  of  diligence. 
Love  is  the  marrow  of  the  bones  of  fidelity,  the 
blood  in  the  veins  of  piety,  the  sinew  of  spirit- 
ual strength — yea,  the  life  of  sincere  devotion. 
He  that  hath  love  can  no  more  be  motionless 
than  the  aspen  in  the  gale,  the  sere  leaf  in  the 
hurricane,  or  the  spray  in  the  tempest.  As  well 
may  hearts  cease  to  beat,  as  love  to  labor.  Love 
is   instinct  with  activity,  it  cannot  be  idle ;   it  is 


spttrgeon's  gems.  293 

full  of  energy,  it  camiot  content  itself  with  littles ; 
it  is  the  well-spring  of  heroism,  and  great  deeds 
are  the  gnshings  of  its  fountain ;  it  is  a  giant — 
it  heapeth  mountains  upon  mountains,  and  thinks 
the  pile  but  little  ;  it  is  a  mighty  mystery,  for  it 
changes  bitter  into  sweet ;  it  calls  death  life,  and 
life  death,  and  it  makes  pain  less  painful  than  en- 
joyment. Love  has  a  clear  eye,  but  it  can  see  only 
one  thing — it  is  blind  to  every  interest  but  that  of  its 
Lord ;  it  seeth  things  in  the  light  of  his  glory,  and 
weigheth  actions  in  the  scales  of  his  honor ;  it  counts 
royalty  but  dru^dgery  if  it  cannot  reign  for  Christ, 
but  it  delights  in  servitude  as  much  as  in  honor,  if  it 
can  thereby  advance  the  Master's  kingdom ;  its  end 
sweetens  all  its  means;  its  object  lightens  its  toil, 
and  removes  its  weariness.  Love,  with  refreshing 
influence,  girds  up  the  loins  of  the  pilgrim,  so  that 
he  forgets  fatigue ;  it  casts  a  shadow  for  the  way- 
faring man,  so  that  he  feels  not  the  burning  heat ; 
and  it  puts  the  bottle  to  the  lip  of  thirst. 


•  •  • 


¥E  are  willing  to  serve  God  when  we  love  his 
Son  :  there  may  be  obstacles,  but  no  unwilling- 
ness. We  would  be  holy  even  as  God  is  holy,  and 
perfect  even  as  our  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is  per- 
fect. 


294  spurgeon's  gems. 

MAT  God  make  iis  ever  careful  that,  by  his  Holy 
Spiiit's  aid,  we  may  be  able  to  live  unto  him  as 
those  that  are  alive  from  the  dead;  and  since  in 
many  things  we  fall  short  of  his  perfect  will,  let  us 
humble  ourselves,  and  devoutly  seek  the  moulding 
of  his  hand  to  renew  us  day  by  day.  We  ought  ever 
to  desire  a  perfect  life  as  the  result  of  full  consecra- 
tion, even  though  we  shall  often  groan  that "  it  is  not 
yet  attained."     Our  prayer  should  be — 

"  Take  my  soul  and  body's  powers  ; 
Take  my  memory,  mind,  and  will ; 
All  my  goods,  and  all  my  hours  ; 

All  I  know,  and  all  I  feel ; 
All  I  think,  or  speak,  or  do  ; 
Take  my  heart — ^but  make  it  new." 


¥E  love  Jesus  when  we  are  advanced  in  the 
divine  life,  from  a  participation  with  him  in 
the  great  work  of  his  incarnation.  AYe  long  to  see 
our  fellow-men  turned  from  darkness  to  light,  and 
we  love  him  as  the  sun  of  righteousness,  who  can 
alone  illuminate  them.  We  hate  sin,  and  therefore 
we  rejoice  in  him  as  manifested  to  take  away  sin. 
We  pant  for  holier  and  happier  times,  and  therefore 
we  adore  him  as  the  coming  Ruler  of  all  lands,  who 
will  bring  a  millennium  with  him  in  the  day  of  his 
appearing. 


SPURGEON  S   GEMS.  295 

¥1IEN  Jesus  Christ  came  to  bnilcl  his  temple,  he 
found  no  mountain  on  which  to  build  it ;  he 
had  no  mountain  in  our  nature,  he  had  to  find  a 
mountain  in  his  own,  and  the  mountain  upon  which 
he  has  built  his  Church  is  the  mountain  of  his  own 
unchangeable  affection,  his  own  strong  love,  his  own 
omnipotent  grace  and  infallible  truthfulness.  It  is 
this  that  constitutes  the  mountain  upon  which  the 
Church  is  built,  and  on  this  the  foundation  hath 
been  digged,  and  the  great  stones  laid  in  the 
trenches  with  oaths  and  promises  and  blood  to  make 
them  stand  secure,  even  though  earth  should  rock 
and  all  creation  suffer  decay. 


AS  the  affectionate  wife  obeys  because  she  loves 
her  husband,  so  does  the  redeemed  soul  delight 
in  keeping  the  commands  of  Jesus,  although  com- 
pelled by  no  force  but  that  of  love.  This  divine 
principle  will  render  every  duty  pleasant ;  yea, 
when  the  labor  is  in  itself  irksome,  this  heavenly 
grace  will  quicken  us  in  its  performance  by  remind- 
ing us  that  it  is  honorable  to  suffer  for  our  Lord. 


HEAYEK  is  a  state  of  entire  acquiescence  in  the 
will  of  God,  and  perfect  sympathy  with  his  pur- 
poses. 


296  spurgeon's  gems. 

IEEMEMBER  a  story  of  one,  who  remarked  to  a 
minister,  what  a  wonderful  thing  it  was  to  see  so 
many  people  weeping.  "  ^ay,"  said  he,  "  I  will  tell 
you  something  more  wonderful  still,  that  so  many  will 
forget  all  they  wept  about  when  they  get  outside  the 
door."  And  you  will  do  this.  Still,  when  you  have 
done  it,  you  will  recollect  that  you  have  not  been 
without  the  strivings  of  God's  Spirit.  You  will  re- 
member that  God  has,  this  morning,  as  it  were,  put 
a  hurdle  across  your  road,  digged  a  ditch  in  your 
way,  and  put  up  a  hand-post,  and  said,  "  take  warn- 
ing !  beware,  beware,  beware  !  you  are  rushing  madly 
into  the  ways  of  iniquity  !"  And  I  have  come  before 
you  this  morning,  and  in  God's  name  I  have  said, 
"  Stop,  stoj),  stop,  thus  saith  the  Lord  '  consider  your 
ways,  why  will  ye  die  ?  Turn  ye,  turn  ye,  why  will 
ye  die,  O  house  of  Israel  ?"  And  now,  if  ye  will  put 
this  from  you,  it  must  be  even  so  ;  if  you  will  put  out 
these  sparks,  if  you  will  quench  this  first  burning 
torch,  it  must  be  so !  On  your  own  head  be  your 
blood ;  at  your  own  door  lay  your  iniquities. 


GOOD  men  are  more  tender  over  the  reputation 
of  Christ  than  over  their  own  good  name ;  for 
they  are  willing  to  lose  the  world's  favorable  opinion 
rather  than  that  Christ  should  be  dishonored. 


sptjkgeon's  gems.  297 

ii  "nELIEYE  and  live,"  is  preached  every  daj  in 
-L'  jour  hearing.     Many  of  you  this  ten,  twenty, 
thirty,  forty,  or  fifty  years  have  been  hearing  the 
gospel,  and  you  dare  not  say,  "I  did  not  know  what 
the  gospel  was."   From  your  earliest  childhood  many 
of  you  have  listened  to  it.     The  name  of  Jesus  was 
mingled  with  the  hush  of  luUaby.     You  drank  in  a 
holy  gospel  with  your  mother's  milk,  and  yet  despite 
all  that,  you  have  never  sought  Christ.    "  Knowledge 
is  power,"  men  say.    Alas !  Knowlege,  when  not  used, 
is  wrath,  wkath,  WEATH  to  the  uttermost,  against 
the  man  who  knows,  and  yet  doth  not  that  which  he 
knoweth  to  be  right. 


rVK !  how  has  our  blood  boiled  when  the  name  of 
Vy  Jesus  has  been  the  theme  of  scornful  jest !  how 
have  we  been  ready  to  invoke  the  fire  of  Elias  upon 
the  guilty  blasphemers!  or  when  our  more  carnal 
heat  has  subsided,  how  have  we  wept,  even  to  the 
sobbing  of  a  child,  at  the  reproach  cast  upon  his  most 
hallowed  name  !  Many  a  time  we  have  been  ready 
to  burst  with  anguish  when  we  have  been  speechless 
before  the  scofi*er,  because  the  Lord  had  shut  us  up, 
that  we  could  not  come  forth ;  but  at  other  seasons, 
with  courage  more  than  we  had  considered  to  be 
within  the  range  of  our  capability,  we  have  boldly 
reproved  the  wicked,  and  sent  them  back  abashed. 

13* 


298  sptjegeon's  gems. 

¥E,  who  are  saved  hj  grace,  have  room  enough 
in  our  Redeemer's  character  for  eternal  love 
and  wonder.  His  characters  are  so  varied,  and  all 
of  them  so  precious,  that  we  may  still  gaze  and 
adore.  The  Shepherd  folding  the  lambs  in  his 
bosom,  the  Breaker  dashing  into  pieces  the  opposing 
gates  of  brass,  the  Captain  routing  all  his  foes,  the 
Brother  born  for  adversity,  and  a  thousand  other 
delightful  pictures  of  Jesus,  are  all  calculated  to  stir 
the  affections  of  the  thoughtful  Christian. 


♦  •  •- 


X 


IF  a  sense  of  unity  in  aim  be  capable  of  binding 
hosts  of  men  into  one  compact  body,  beating  with 
one  heart,  and  moving  with  the  same  step — ^then  it  is 
easy  to  believe  that  the  heavenly  object  in  which 
the  saints  and  their  Saviour  are  both  united,  is 
strong  enough  to  form  a  lasting  bond  of  love  be- 
tween them. 


HE  that  is  not  afraid  of  sinning  has  good  need  to 
be  afraid  of  damning.  Truth  hates  error,  holi- 
ness abhorreth  guilt,  and  grace  cannot  but  detest  sin. 
If  we  do  not  desire  to  be  cautious  to  avoid  offending 
our  Lord,  we  may  rest  confident  that  we  have  no  part 
in  him,  for  true  love  to  Christ  will  rather  die  than 
wound  him. 


sptjegeon's  gems.  299 

¥E  remember  to   have    heard   a   preacher   at   a 
funeral    most    beautifully   setting    forth    this 
parable :  "A  certain  nobleman  had  a  spacious  gar- 
den, which  he  left  to  the  care  of  a  faithful  servant, 
whose  delight  it  was  to  train  the  creepers  along  the 
trellis,  to  water  the  seeds  in  the  time  of  drought,  to 
support  the  stalks  of  the  tender  plants,  and  to  do 
every  work  which  could  render  the  garden  a  Para- 
dise of  flowers.     One  morning  he  rose  with  joy,  ex- 
pecting to  tend  his  beloved  flowers,  and  hoping  to 
find  his  favorites  increased  in  beauty.     To  his  sur- 
prise, he  found  one  of  his  choicest  beauties  rent  from 
its  stem,  and,  looking  around  him,  he  missed  from 
every  bed  the  pride  of  his  garden,  the  most  precious 
of  his  blooming  flowers.     Full  of  grief  and  anger, 
he  hurried  to  his  fellow-servants,  and  demanded  who 
had  thus  robbed  him  of  his  treasures.     They  had  not 
done  it,  and  he  did  not  charge  them  with  it ;  but  he 
found  no  solace  for  his  grief  till  one  of  them  re- 
marked :  '  My  lord  was  walking  in  the  garden  this 
morning,  and  I  saw  him  pluck  the  flowers  and  carry 
them  away.'     Then  truly  he  found  he  had  no  cause 
for  his  trouble.     He  felt  it  was  well  that  his  master 
had  been  pleased  to   take  his   own,  and  he  went 
away,  smiling  at  his  loss,  because  his  lord  had  taken 
them.     So,"  said  the  preacher,  turning  to  the  mour- 
ners, "  you  have  lost  one  whom  you  regarded  with 


300  sptjrgeon's  gems. 

mucli  tender  affection.  The  bonds  of  endearment 
haYe  not  availed  for  her  retention  upon  earth.  I 
know  your  wounded  feelings  when,  instead  of  the 
lovely  form  which  was  the  embodiment  of  all  that 
is  excellent  and  amiable,  you  behold  nothing  but 
ashes  and  corruption.  But  remember,  my  beloved, 
THE  LoKD  hath  done  it.  He  hath  removed  the  ten- 
der mother,  the  affectionate  wife,  the  inestimable 
friend.  I  say  again,  remember  your  own  Lord  has 
done  it ;  therefore  do  not  murmur,  or  yield  your- 
selves to  an  excess  of  grief."  There  was  much  force 
as  well  as  beauty  in  the  simple  allegory :  it  were 
well  if  all  the  Lord's  family  had  grace  to  practise  its 
heavenly  lesson,  in  all  times  of  bereavement  and 
affliction. 


OH  new-born  soul,  trembling  with  anxiety,  if  thou 
hast  not  yet  beheld  the  fair  face  of  thy  beloved, 
if  thou  canst  not  as  yet  delight  in  the  majesty  of  his 
offices,  and  the  wonders  of  his  person,  let  thy  soul  be 
fully  alive  to  the  richness  of  his  grace,  and  the  pre- 
ciousness  of  his  blood.  These  thou  hast  in  thy  pos- 
session— the  pledges  of  thine  interest  in  him ;  love 
him  then  for  these,  and  in  due  time  he  will  discover 
unto  thee  fresh  wonders  and  glories,  so  that  thou 
shalt  be  able  to  exclaim,  "  The  half  has  not  been  told 


sphrgeon's  gems.  301 

me."  Let  Calvary  and  Getlisemane  endear  thy  Sa- 
viour to  tliee,  thongli  as  yet  tliou  hast  not  seen  the 
brightness  of  Tabor,  or  heard  the  eloquence  of  Olivet. 
Take  the  lower  room  if  thou  canst  not  reach  another, 
for  the  lowest  room  is  m  the  house^  and  its  tables  shall 
not  be  naked.  But  study  to  look  into  thy  Redeemer's 
heart,  that  thou  mayst  become  more  closely  knit  unto 
him.  Remember  there  is  a  singular  love  in  the 
bowels  of  our  Lord  Jesus  to  his  people,  so  super- 
latively excellent,  that  nothing  can  compare  with  it. 
JSTo  husband,  no  wife,  nor  tender-hearted  mother 
can  compete  with  him  in  affection,  for  his  love  pass- 
eth  the  love  of  women.  ]N^othing  will  contribute 
more  to  make  thee  see  Jesus  Christ  as  admirable  and 
lovely  than  a  right  apprehension  of  his  love  to  thee  ; 
this  is  the  constraining,  ravishing,  engaging,  and 
overwhelming  consideration  which  will  infallibly 
steep  thee  in  a  sea  of  love  to  him. 


THIS  feeling  of  fear  lest  we  should  "  slip  with  our 
feet,"  is  a  precious  feature  of  true  spiritual  life. 
It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  it  is  so  lightly  prized  by 
many,  in  comparison  with  the  more  martial  virtues ; 
for,  despite  its  apparent  insignificance,  it  is  one  of  tlie 
choicest  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  and  its  absence  is  one  of 
the  most  deplorable  evidences  of  spiritual  decay. 


302  spuegeon's  gems. 


^  i  \\T^  love  liim  because  he  first  loved  us."  Here 
*  *  is  the  starting  point  of  love's  race.  This  is 
the  rippling  rill  which  afterwards  swells  into  a  river, 
the  torch  with  which  the  pile  of  piety  is  kindled. 
The  emancipated  spirit  loves  the  Saviour  for  the  free- 
dom which  he  has  conferred  upon  it ;  it  beholds  the 
agony  with  which  the  priceless  gift  was  purchased, 
and  it  adores  the  bleeding  sufferer  for  the  pains 
which  he  so  generously  endured. 


IT  is  worth  while  to  be  a  man,  despite  all  the  sor- 
rows of  mortality,  if  we  may  have  grace  to  talk 
in  the  fashion  of  a  full-assured  believer  when  he 
rejoices  in  the  plenitude  of  his  possessions  and  grate- 
fully retm-ns  his  love  as  his  only  possible  acknow- 
ledgment. Listen  to  him  while  he  talks  in  the 
following  strain :  "J/y  Beloved  is  mine,  and  I  am 
his.  The  grant  is  clear  and  my  claim  is  firm.  Who 
shall  despoil  me  of  it  when  God  hath  put  me  in  pos- 
session, and  doth  own  me  as  the  lawful  heritor? 
My  Lord  hath  himself  assured  me  that  he  is  mine, 
and  hath  bid  me  call  his  father,  my  father.  I  know 
of  a  surety  that  the  whole  Trinity  are  mine.  '  I  will 
be  thy  God'  is  my  sweet  assurance.  O  my  soul, 
arise  and  take  possession  ;  inherit  thy  blessedness, 
and  cast  up  thy  richess ;  enter  into  thy  rest,  and  tell 


spuegeon's  gems.  303 

how  tlie  Lord  hath  dealt  bountifully  with  thee.  I 
will  praise  thee,  O  my  God  ;  my  king,  I  subject  mj 
Boul  unto  thee.  O,  my  Griory,  in  thee  will  I  boast  all 
the  day ;  O  my  Rock,  on  thee  will  I  build  all  my 
confidence.  O  staff  of  my  life  and  strength  of  my 
heart,  the  life  of  my  joy  and  joy  of  my  life,  I  will  sit 
and  sing  under  thy  shadow,  yea,  I  will  sing  a  song  of 
loves  touching  my  Well-beloyed."  This  is  a  precious 
experience,  happy  is  the  man  who  enjoys  it. 


1]^  some  circles  it  is  believed  that  in  the  event  of 
another  reign  of  persecution,  there  are  very  few 
in  our  churches  who  would  endure  the  fiery  trial : 
nothing,  we  think,  is  more  unfounded.  It  is  our  firm 
opinion  that  the  feeblest  saint  in  our  midst  would  re- 
ceive grace  for  the  struggle,  and  come  off  more  than 
a  conqueror.  God's  children  are  the  same  now  as 
ever.  Real  piety  will  as  well  endure  the  fire  in  one 
century  as  another.  There  is  the  same  love  to  impel 
the  martyrdom,  the  same  grace  to  sustain  the  suffer- 
er, the  same  promises  to  cheer  his  heart,  and  the 
same  crown  to  adorn  his  head.  "We  believe  that 
those  followers  of  Jesus  who  may  perhaps  one  day 
be  called  to  the  stake,  will  die  as  readily  as  any  who 
have  gone  before.  Love  is  still  as  strong  as  death, 
and  grace  is  still  made  perfect  in  weakness.  We  may 
be  weak  in  grace,  but  grace  is  not  weak. 


304  spuegeon's  gems. 


0 


UR    favorite    master    of   quaint    conceits*   has 
singularly  said  in  Ms  poem  entitled  "  Unkind- 


ness  "- 


"  My  friend  may  spit  upon  my  curious  floor." 


True,  most  true,  our  Beloved  may  do  as  lie  pleases 
in  om*  house,  even  should  he  break  its  ornaments 
and  stain  its  glories.  Come  in,  thou  heavenly  guest, 
even  though  each  footstep  on  our  floor  should  crush 
a  thousand  of  our  earthly  joys.  Thou  art  thyself 
more  than  sufficient  recompence  for  all  that  thou 
canst  take  away.  Come  in,  thou  brother  of  our 
souls,  even  though  thy  rod  come  with  thee.  "We 
would  rather  have  thee,  and  trials  with  thee,  than 
lament  thine  absence  even  though  surrounded  with 
all  the  wealth  the  universe  can  bestow. 


OH!  how  jealous  we  once  were  lest  one  divine  or- 
dinance should  be  neglected,  or  one  rule  violat- 
ed, l^othing  pained  us  more  than  our  own  too  fre- 
quent wanderings,  and  nothing  gratified  us  more 
than  to  be  allowed  to  hew  wood  or  draw  water  at  his 
bidding.  Why  is  it  not  so  now  with  us  all  ?  Why 
are  those  wings,  once  outstretched  for  speedy  flight, 
now  folded  in  sloth  ?  Is  our  Eedeemer  less  deserv- 
ing ?  or  is  it  not  that  we  are  less  loving  ? 

*  Herbert, 


spukgeon's  gems.  S05 

TEIED  saints  are  constrained  to  love  their  Re- 
deemer; not  only  on  account  of  deliverance 
out  of  trouble,  but  also  because  of  that  sweet  com- 
fort wbicb  he  affords  them  whilst  they  are  enduring 
the  cross.  They  have  found  adversity  to  be  a  wine- 
press, in  which  the  juice  of  the  grapes  of  Eschol 
could  be  trodden  out ;  an  olive-press,  to  extract  the 
precious  oil  from  the  gracious  promises.  Christ  is 
the  honeycomb,  but  experience  must  suck  forth  the 
luscious  drops ;  he  is  frankincense,  but  fiery  trials 
must  burn  out  the  perfume ;  he  is  a  box  of  spike- 
nard, but  the  hard  hand  of  trouble  must  break  the 
box  and  pour  forth  the  ointment. 


THEEE  are  degrees  of  punishment ;  but  the  high- 
est degree  is  given  to  the  man  who  rejects  Christ. 
You  have  noticed  that  passage,  I  dare  say,  that  the 
liar  and  the  whoremonger,  and  drunkards  shall  have 
their  portion — who  do  you  suppose  with  ? — with  uribe- 
lievers  y  as  if  hell  was  made  first  of  all  for  unbelievers 
— as  if  the  pit  was  digged  not  for  whoremongers,  and 
swearers,  and  drunkards,  but  for  men  who  despise 
Christ,  because  that  is  the  A  1  sin,  the  cardinal  vice, 
and  men  are  condemned  for  that.  Other  iniquities 
come  following  after  them,  but  this  one  goes  before 
them  to  judgment.     Imagine  for  a  moment  that  time 


306  spurgeon's  gems. 

has  passed,  and  that  the  day  of  judgment  is  come. 
We  are  all  gathered  together,  both  quick  and  dead. 
The  trumpet-blast  waxes  exceeding  loud  and  long. 
We  are  all  attentive,  expecting  something  marvellous. 
The  exchange  stands  still  in  its  business  ;  the  shop  is 
deserted  by  the  tradesman ;  the  crowded  streets  are 
filled.  All  men  stand  still ;  they  feel  that  the  last 
great  business-day  is  come,  and  that  now  they  must 
settle  their  accounts  forever.  A  solemn  stillness  fills 
the  air ;  no  sound  is  heard.  All,  all  is  noiseless.  Pre- 
sently a  great  white  cloud  with  solemn  state  sails 
through  the  sky,  and  then — ^hark  !  the  twofold  clamor 
of  the  startled  earth.  On  that  cloud  there  sits  one 
like  unto  the  Son  of  Man.  Every  eye  looks,  and  at 
last  there  is  heard  a  unanimous  shout — "  It  is  he !  It 
is  he  !"  and  after  that  you  hear  on  the  one  hand,  shouts 
of  "Hallelujah,  Hallelujah,  Hallelujah,  Welcome, 
Welcome,  Welcome  Son  of  God."  But  mixed  with  that 
there  is  a  deep  bass,  composed  of  the  weeping  and  the 
wailing  of  the  men  who  have  persecuted  him,  and  who 
have  rejected  him.  Listen ;  I  think  I  can  dissect  the 
sonnet ;  I  think  I  can  hear  the  words  as  they  come 
separately,  each  one  of  them  tolling  like  a  death  knell. 
What  say  they  ?  They  say,  "  Eocks,  hide  us,  moun- 
tains, fall  upon  us,  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  that 
sits  upon  the  throne."  And  shall  you  be  among  the 
number  of  those  who  say  to  the  rocks  "  Hide  us  ?" 


8PURGE0N  8   GEMS.  307 

My  impenitent  hearer,  I  suppose  for  a  moment  that 
you  have  gone  out  of  this  world,  and  that  you  have 
died  impenitent,  and  that  you  are  among  those  who 
are  weeping,  and  wailing,  and  gnashing  their  teeth. 
Oh !  what  will  then  be  your  terror !  Blanched  cheeks, 
and  knocking  knees  are  nothing,  compared  to  thy 
horror  of  heart,  when  thou  shalt  be  drunken,  but  not 
with  wine,  and  when  thou  shalt  reel  to  and  fro,  with 
the  intoxication  of  amazement,  and  shall  fall  down, 
and  roll  in  the  dust  for  horror  and  dismay.  For  there 
he  comes,  and  there  he  is,  with  fierce,  fire-darting 
eye  ;  and  now  the  time  is  come  for  the  great  division. 
The  voice  is  heard,  "  Gather  my  people  from  the  four 
winds  of  heaven,  mine  elect,  in  whom  my  soul  de- 
lighteth."  They  are  gathered  at  the  right  hand,  and 
there  they  are.  And  now  saith  he,  "  Gather  up  the 
tares,  and  bind  them  in  bundles  to  burn."  And  you 
are  gathered,  and  on  the  left  hand  there  you  are, 
gatliered  into  the  bundle.  All  that  is  wanted  is  the 
lighting  of  the  pile.  Where  shall  be  the  torch  that 
shall  kindle  them?  The  tares  are  to  be  burned: 
where  is  the  flame  ?  Tlie  flame  comes  out  of  his 
mouth,  and  it  is  composed  of  words  like  these — "  De- 
part, ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  in  hell,  prepared 
for  the  devil  and  his  angels."  Do  you  linger?  ^'De- 
part .''"  Do  you  seek  a  blessing  ?  "  Ye  are  mirsedP 
I  curse  you  with  a  curse.     Do  ye  seek  to  escape  ?   It 


308  spurgeon's  gems 

is  everlasting  fire.  Do  ye  stop  and  plead  ?  ITo.  "7 
called^  and  ye  refused  /  I  stretched  out  my  hands^  and 
y&  regarded  me  not  /  therefore  I  will  mock  at  your 
calamity^  I  will  laugh  when  your  fear  comethy 
"  Depart^  again,  I  say ;  depart  forever !"  And  jou 
are  gone.  And  what  is  yonr  reflection  ?  Why,  it  is 
this :  "  Oh !  would  to  God  that  I  never  had  been 
born !  Oh !  that  I  had  never  heard  the  gospel 
preached,  that  I  might  never  have  had  the  sin  of  re- 
jecting it."  This  will  be  the  gnawing  of  the  worm 
in  your  conscience — ''  I  knew  better,  but  I  did  not 
do  better." — As  I  sowed  the  wind,  it  is  right  I  should 
reap  the  whirlwind  ;  I  was  checked,  but  I  would  not 
be  stopped  ;  I  was  wooed,  but  I  would  not  be  invited. 
Now  I  see  that  I  have  murdered  myself.  Oh  !  thought 
above  all  thoughts  most  deadly.  I  am  lost,  lost,  lost ! 
And  this  is  the  horror  of  horrors :  I  have  caused  my- 
self to  be  lost ;  I  have  put  from  me  the  gospel  of 
Christ ;  I  have  destroyed  myself. 


¥E  think  every  Christian  will  be  corrected  in  due 
measure ;  we  should  be  the  last  to  deny  that 
God's  people  are  a  tried  people.  They  must  all  pass 
through  the  furnace  of  affliction,  and  he  has  chosen 
them  there ;  but  still  we  believe  that  religion  is  a 
blessed  and  happy  thing." 


SPUKGEON  8   GEMS.  309 

AGED  and  mellow  saints  have  so  sweet  a  savor  of 
Christ  in  them  that  their  conversation  is  like 
streams  from  Lebanon,  sweetly  refreshing  to  him 
who  delights  to  hear  of  the  glories  of  redeeming  love. 
They  have  tried  the  anchor  in  the  hour  of  storm, 
they  have  tested  the  armor  in  the  day  of  battle,  they 
have  proved  the  shadow  of  the  great  rock  in  the 
burning  noontide  in  the  weary  land ;  therefore  do 
they  talk  of  those  things,  and  of  Him  who  is  all 
these  nnto  them,  with  an  unction  and  a  relish  which 
we,  who  have  but  just  put  on  our  harness,  can  enjoy, 
although  we  cannot  attain  unto  it  at  present.  We 
must  dive  into  the  same  waters  if  we  would  bring 
up  the  same  pearls. 


THE  Lord's  prisoner  in  the  dungeon  of  Aber- 
deen thus  penned  his  belief  in  the  love  of  his 
"  sweet  Lord  Jesus,"  and  his  acquiescence  in  his 
Master's  will :  "  Oh,  what  owe  I  to  the  file,  to 
the  hammer,  to  the  furnace,  of  my  Lord  Jesus  !  who 
hath  now  let  me  see  how  good  the  wheat  of  Christ 
is,  which  goeth  through  his  mill,  to  be  made  bread 
for  his  own  table.  Grace  tried  is  better  than  grace, 
and  more  than  grace — it  is  glory  in  its  infancy. 
"When  Christ  blesses  his  own  crosses  with  a  tongue, 
they  breathe  out  Christ's  love,  wisdom,  kindness, 
and  care  of  us.     Why  should  I  start  at  the  plough  of 


310  spukgeon's  gems. 

my  Lord,  that  maketh.  deep  furrows  upon  my  soul  ? 
I  know  that  he  is  no  idle  husbandman ;  he  pur- 
poseth  a  crop.  Oh,  that  this  white,  withered  lea- 
ground  were  made  fertile  to  bear  a  crop  for  him,  by 
whom  it  is  so  painfully  dressed,  and  that  this  fallow- 
ground  were  broken  up !  Why  was  I  (a  fool !) 
grieved  that  he  put  his  garland  and  his  rose  upon 
my  head — the  glory  and  honor  of  his  faithful  wit- 
nesses ?  I  desire  now  to  make  no  more  pleas  with 
Christ.  Yerily,  he  hath  not  put  me  to  a  loss  by 
what  I  suffered ;  he  oweth  me  nothing ;  for  in  my 
bonds  how  sweet  and  comfortable  have  the  thoughts 
of  him  been  to  me,  wherein  I  find  a  sufficient  re- 
compense of  reward!" 


•  •  • 


AS  fire  grows  by  the  addition  of  fuel,  so  does  our 
love  to  Christ  increase  by  renewed  and  en- 
larged discoveries  of  his  love  to  us.  Love  is  love's 
food.  If,  as  parents,  we  make  known  our  love  to 
our  children,  and  deal  wisely  with  them,  it  is  but 
natural  that  their  affections  should  become  more  and 
more  knit  to  us ;  so  it  seems  but  as  in  the  common 
course  of  things  that  where  much  of  divine  love  is 
perceived  by  the  soul,  there  will  be  a  return  of  affec- 
tion in  some  degree  proportionate  to  the  measure  of 
the  manifestation. 


I 


spukgeon's  gems.  311 

T  is  a  lovely  spectacle  to  behold  the  timid  and  fee- 
ble defending  the  citadel  of  truth  :  not  with  hard 
blows  of  logic,  or  sonnding  cannonade  of  rhetoric— 
but  with  that  tearful  earnestness,  and  implicit  conii 
deuce,  against  which  the  attacks  of  revilers  are 
utterly  powerless.  Overthrown  in  argument,  they 
overcome  by  faith ;  covered  with  contempt,  they 
think  it  all  joy  if  they  may  but  avert  a  solitary  stain 
from  the  escutcheon  of  their  Lord.  "  Call  me  what 
thou  wilt,"  says  the  believer,  "  but  speak  not  ill  of 
my  Beloved.  Here,  plough  these  shoulders  with 
your  lashes,  but  spare  yourselves  the  sin  of  cursing 
him  !  Aye,  let  me  die :  I  am  all  too  happy  to  be  slain, 
if  my  Lord's  most  glorious  cause  shall  live  !" 


NEAENESS  of  life  towards  the  Lamb  will  neces- 
sarily involve  greatness  of  love  to  him.  As 
nearness  to  the  sun  increases  the  temperature  of  the 
various  planets,  so  close  communion  with  Jesus 
raises  the  heat  of  the  affections  towards  him. 


A  BABE'S  fondness  of  its  mother  is  as  pleasing  to 
her  as  the  strong  devotion  of  her  full-grown  son. 
The  graces  of  faith,  hope,  and  love  are  to  be  esti- 
mated more  by  their  honesty  than  by  their  degree, 
and  less  by  their  intellectual  than  by  their  emotional 
characteristics. 


312  sptjrgeon's  gems. 

AN  honored  saint  was  once  so  ravished  with  a  re- 
velation of  his  Lord's  love,  that  feeling  his  mortal 
frame  to  be  nnable  to  sustain  more  of  such  bliss,  he 
cried,  "  Hold,  Lord,  it  is  enough,  it  is  enough  !"  Li 
heaven  we  shall  be  able  to  set  the  bottomless  well 
of  love  to  our  lips,  and  drink  on  forever,  and  yet  feel 
no  weakness.  Ah,  that  will  be  love  indeed  which 
shall  overflow  our  souls  forever  in  our  Father's  house 
above !  Who  can  tell  the  transports,  the  raptures, 
the  amazements  of  delight  which  that  love  shall  be- 
get in  us  ?  and  who  can  guess  the  sweetness  of  the 
song,  or  the  swiftness  of  the  obedience  which  will  be 
the  heavenly  expressions  of  love  made  perfect  ? 

—    ••• — 


IT  has  become  fashionable  to  allow  the  title  of  "  in 
tellectual  preachers "  to  a  class  of  men,  whose 
passionless  essays  are  combinations  of  metaphysical 
quibbles  and  heretical  doctrines  ;  who  are  shocked  at 
the  man  who  excites  his  hearers  beyond  the.  freezing- 
point  of  insensibility,  and  are  quite  elated  if  they  hear 
that  their  homily  could  only  be  understood  by  a  few. 
It  is,  however,  no  question  whether  these  men  de- 
serve their  distinctive  title ;  it  may  be  settled  as  an 
axiom  that  falsehood  is  no  intellectual  feat,  and  that 
unintelligible  jargon  is  no  evidence  of  a  cultured 


sptjrgeon's  gems.  313 

mind.  There  must  be  in  our  religion  a  fair  propor- 
tion of  believing,  thinking,  understanding,  and  dis- 
cerning, but  there  must  be  also  the  preponderating 
influences  of  feeling,  loving,  delighting,  and  desiring. 
That  religion  is  worth  nothing  v^hich  has  no  dwelling 
in  man  but  his  brain.  To  love  much  is  to  be  wise  ;  to 
grow  in  affection  is  to  grow  in  knowledge,  and  to  in- 
(jrease  in  tender  attachment  is  to  be  making  high  pro- 
ficiency in  divine  things. 


THERE  are  many  fair  and  enchanting  spots  in  the 
highway  of  salvation — spots  which  angels  have 
visited,  and  which  the  saints  have  sighed  to  behold 
again  and  again.  But  some  other  parts  of  the  way 
are  not  so  inviting ;  we  love  not  to  enter  the  Yalley 
of  the  Shadow  of  Death,  nor  to  approach  the  moun- 
tains of  the  leopards,  nor  the  lions'  dens,  yet  must  all 
of  them  be  passed. 


•  •  • 


OH,  mourner,  say  not  that  thou  art  a  target  for  all 
the  arrows  of  the  Almighty  ;  take  not  to  thyself 
the  preeminence  of  woe  ;  for  thy  fellows  have  trod- 
den the  valley  too,  and  upon  them  are  the  scars  of 
the  thorns  and  briers  of  the  di'eary  pathway. 

14 


314  SPUEGEON'S    GEMS. 

SON]^ETS  will  never  cease  for  want  of  themes,  un- 
less it  be  that  the  penury  of  language  slionld 
compel  onr  wonder  to  abide  at  home,  since  it  cannot 
find  garments  in  which  to  clothe  its  thonghts.  When 
the  sonl  is  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  take  a  clear  view 
of  Jesns  in  his  various  offices,  how  speedily  the  heart 
is  on  fire  with  love  !  To  see  him  stooping  from  his 
throne  to  become  man,  next  yielding  to  suffering  to 
become  man's  sympathizing  friend,  and  then  bowing 
to  death  itself  to  become  his  ransom,  is  enough  to 
stir  every  passion  of  the  soul.  To  discern  him  by 
faith  as  the  propitiation  for  sin,  sprinkling  his  own 
blood  within  the  veil,  and  nailing  our  sins  to  his 
cross,  is  a  sight  which  never  fails  to  excite  the  rever- 
ent, yet  rapturous  admiration  of  the  beholder.  Who 
can  behold  the  triumphs  of  the  Prince  of  Peace  and 
not  applaud  him  !  Who  can  know  his  illustrious 
merits,  and  not  extol  him  ? 


ALL  men  have  their  times  of  sadness,  but  some 
seem  to  be  always  in  the  deep  waters — their 
lives,  like  Ezekiel's  roll,  seem  written  within  and 
without  with  lamentations.  They  can  j;ist  dimly  re- 
collect happier  days,  but  those  are  past  long  ago. 
They  have  for  some  time  been  the  children  of  grief. 
They  seldom  eat  a  crust  unmoistened  by  a  tear.  Sor- 
row's wormwood  is  their  daily  salad. 


SPURGEON  S   GEMS.  315 

OTTTE  savour  of  the  name  of  Jesus,  when  heard 
by  the  ear  which  has  been  opened  by  the  Spirit ! 
O  the  beauty  of  the  person  of  Jesus,  when  seen  with 
the  eye  of  faith  by  the  illumination  of  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel !  As  the  light  of  the  morning,  when  the 
sun  ariseth,  as  "  a  morning  without  clouds,"  is  our 
"Vy ell-Beloved  unto  us.  The  si^ht  of  the  burning 
bush  made  Moses  put  off  his  shoes,  but  the  transport- 
ing vision  of  Jesus  makes  us  put  off  all  the  world. 
"When  once  he  is  seen  we  can  discern  no  beauties  in 
all  the  creatures  in  the  universe.  He,  like  the  sun, 
hath  absorbed  all  other  glories  into  his  own  excessive 
brightness.  This  is  the  pomegranate  which  love 
feeds  upon,  the  flagon  wherewith  it  is  comforted. 


HEAYEX  itself,  although  it  be  a  fertile  land, 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  can  j)i'oduce  no 
fairer  flower  than  the  Rose  of  Sharon ;  its  highest 
joys  mount  no  higher  than  the  head  of  Jesus ;  its 
sweetest  bliss  is  found  in  his  name  alone.  If  we 
would  know  heaven,  let  us  know  Jesus  ;  if  we  would 
be  heavenly,  let  us  love  Jesus. 


THAT  sweet  name  "brother"  is  like  perfume  to 
the  believer,  and  when  he  lays  hold  upon  it,  it 
imparts  its  fragrance  to  him. 


316  spuegeon's  gems. 

THE  best  enjoyments  of  Christ  on  earth  are  but  as 
the  dipping  of  our  finger  in  water  for  the  cooling 
of  our  thirst ;  but  heaven  is  bathing  in  seas  of  bliss  : 
even  so  our  love  here  is  but  one  drop  of  the  same 
substance  as  the  waters  of  the  ocean,  but  not  com- 
parable for  magnitude  or  depth.  Oh,  how  sweet  it 
will  be  to  be  married  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  to  enjoy 
forever,  and  without  any  interruption,  the  heavenly 
delights  of  his  society  !  Surely,  if  a  glimpse  of  him 
melteth  our  soul,  the  full  fruition  of  liim  will  be 
enough  to  burn  up  with  affection.  It  is  well  that  we 
shall  have  more  noble  frames  in  heaven  than  we 
have  here,  otherwise  we  should  die  of  love  in  the 

very  land  of  life. 

— •-•-• — 

IT  is  the  ambition  of  most  men  to  absorb  others  into 
their  own  life,  that  they  may  shine  the  more 
brightly  by  the  stolen  rays  of  other  lights  ;  but  it  is 
the  Christian's  highest  aspiration  to  be  absorbed  into 
another,  and  lose  himself  in  the  glories  of  his  sover- 
eign and  Saviour. 


LOOK  to  thy  love,  O  Christian  !  and  let  the  carnal 
revile  thee  never  so  much,  do  thou  persevere  in 
seeking  to  walk  with  Christ,  to  feel  his  love,  and 
triumph  in  his  grace. 


spuegeon's  gems.  317 

IT  is  the  highest  stage  of  manhood  to  have  no 
wish,  no  thought,  no  desire,  but  Christ — to  feel 
that  to  die  were  bliss,  if  it  were  for  Christ — that 
to  live  in  penurj,  and  w^oe,  and  scorn,  and  con- 
tempt, and  misery,  were  sweet  for  Christ — to  feel 
that  it  matters  nothing  what  becomes  of  one's  self, 
so  that  our  Master  is  but  exalted — to  feel  that 
though,  like  a  sere  leaf,  we  are  blown  in  the  blast, 
we  are  quite  careless  whither  we  are  going,  so 
long  as  we  feel  that  the  Master's  hand  is  guid- 
ing us  according  to  his  will;  or,  rather,  to  feel 
that  though  like  the  diamond,  we  must  be  ex- 
ercised with  sharp  tools,  yet  we  care  not  how 
Bharj)ly  we  may  be  cut,  so  that  we  may  be  made 
fit  brilliants  to  adorn  his  crown. 


EARTHLY  joys  are  continually  failing  us ;  and 
created  cisterns,  one  after  another,  are  dried  up. 
A  hot,  dry  wind  steals  away  every  drop  of  comfort, 
and,  hungry  and  thirsty,  our  soul  fainteth  in  us. 
No  fruit  of  sweetness  grows  here.  It  well  answers 
the  description  of  Watts : 

"  It  yields  us  no  supply, 
No  cheering  fruits,  no  wholesome  trees, 
Nor  streams  of  living  joy." 


318  spurgeon's  gems. 

THE  vale  of  tears  is  very  low,  and  descends  far  be- 
neath the  ordinary  level ;  some  parts  of  it,  in- 
deed, are  tunnelled  through  rocks  of  anguish.  A  fre- 
quent cause  of  its  darkness  is  that  on  either  side  of 
the  valley  there  are  high  mountains,  called  the  moun- 
tains of  sin.  These  rise  so  high  that  they  obscure  the 
light  of  the  sun.  Behind  these  Andes  of  guilt,  God 
hides  his  face,  and  we  are  troubled.  Then  how 
densely  dark  the  pathway  becomes  !  Indeed,  this  is 
the  very  worst  thing  that  can  be  mentioned  of  this 
valley :  for,  if  it  were  not  so  dark,  pilgrims  would 
not  so  much  dread  passing  through  it. 


IF  there  be  an  inner  chamber  in  which  the  king 
doth  store  his  choicest  fruits,  let  us  enter,  for  he 
bids  us  make  free  with  all  in  his  house  ;  and  if  there 
be  a  secret  place  where  he  doth  show  his  loves,  let 
us  hasten  thither  and  embrace  him  whom  our  soul 
loveth,  and  there  let  us  abide  until  we  see  him  face 
to  face  in  the  upper  skies. 


TEUE  grace  may  be  in  the  soul  without  being 
apparent;  for,  as  Baxter  truly  observes,  "grace 
is  never  apparent  and  sensible  to  the  soul  but  while 
it  is  in  action."  Fire  may  be  in  the  flint,  and  yet  be 
unseen  except  when  occasion  shall  bring  it  out. 


spuegeon's  gems.  319 

THE  air  from  the  sea  of  affliction  is  extremely  be- 
neficial to  invalid  Christians.  Continued  pros- 
perity, like  a  warm  atmosphere,  has  a  tendency  to 
nnbind  the  sinews  and  soften  the  bones  ;  but  the  cold 
winds  of  trouble  make  us  sturdy,  hardy,  and  well 
braced  in  every  part.  Unbroken  success  often 
leads  to  an  undervaluing  of  mercies  and  forgetfulness 
of  the  giver ;  but  the  withdrawal  of  the  sunshine 
leads  us  to  look  for  the  sun. 


SAY,  poor  soul,  what  get  you  in  Christ  whenever 
you  go  to  him  ?  Can  you  not  say.  Oh !  I  get 
more  love  to  him  than  I  had  before ;  I  never  ap- 
proached near  to  him  but  I  gained  a  large  draught 
and  ample  fill  of  love  of  God.  Out  of  his  fullness  we 
receive  grace  for  grace,  and  love  for  love.  In  a 
word,  by  faith  we  behold  the  glory  of  the  Lord  as  in 
a  glass,  and  are  changed  into  the  same  image — and 
the  image  of  God  is  love. 


BETTER  walk  on  rugged  rocks  than  on  slippery 
ice.  If  we  lose  our  roll  it  is  in  the  harbor  of 
ease,  not  in  the  valley  of  Baca.  Few  Christians  back- 
slide while  under  the  rod  ;  it  is  usually  when  on  the 
lap  of  plenty  that  believers  sin. 


320  spurgeon's  gems. 

S^TAES  may  be  seen  from  the  bottom  of  a  deep  well 
wben  they  cannot  be  discerned  from  the  top  of  a 
mountain :  so  are  many  things  learned  in  adversity 
which  the  prosperous  man  dreams  not  of.  We  need 
affliction  as  the  trees  need  winter,  that  we  may  col- 
lect sap  and  nourishment  for  future  blossoms  and 
fruit.  Sorrow  is  as  necessary  for  the  soul  as  medicine 
is  to  the  body  : 

"  The  path  of  sorrow,  and  that  path  alone, 
Leads  to  the  land  where  sorrow  is  unknown." 


TTTHEX  eastern  shepherds  travel,  if  they  find  no 
V?  water,  they  dig  a  well,  and  thus  obtain  a  plen- 
tiful supply  of  water  for  themselves  and  for  their  cat- 
tle. So  did  Isaac,  and  so  also  did  the  rulers  for  the 
people  in  the  wilderness.  When  we  are  thirsty  and 
there  is  no  water  to  be  found  in  the  pools,  we  must 
dig  deep  for  it.  Calvin  translates  it — "They,  tra- 
velling through  the  valley  of  weeping,  will  dig  a 
well,"  etc. 


•  ♦  • 


A  S  we  pour  water  into  a  dry  pump  when  we  desire 
IX.  to  obtain  more — so  must  we  have  the  love  of 
Christ  imparted  to  the  heart  before  we  shall  feel  any 
uprisings  of  delight  in  him. 


spitrgeon's  gems.  321 

¥E  are  bound  to  use  every  Scriptural  "means  to 
obtain  the  good  we  need.  The  sanctuary,  the 
meeting  for  prayer,  the  Bible,  the  company  of  the 
saints,  private  prayer  and  meditation — these  revive 
the  soul.  "We  must  dig  the  wells.  K  there  be 
rocky  granite  we  must  bore  it;  we  must  not  be 
disturbed  from  perseverance  by  the  labor  of  our 
duties,  but  continue  to  dig  still ;  and  what  a  mercy ! 
if  the  well  has  ever  so  small  a  bore  the  water  will 
flow. 

•  •• — 


OH,  child  of  grief,  remember  the  vale  of  tears  is 
much  frequented  ;  thou  art  not  alone  in  thy  dis- 
tress. Sorrow  has  a  numerous  family.  Say  not,  I 
am  the  man  that  has  seen  affliction,  for  there  be 
others  in  the  furnace  with  thee.  Remember,  more- 
over, the  King  of  kings  once  went  through  this  val- 
ley, and  here  he  obtained  his  name,  "  the  Man  of 
sorrows,"  for  it  was  while  passing  through  it  he  be- 
came "  acquainted  with  grief." 


SO  long  as  mere  reason  is  the  only  listener,  the 
melody  of  the  cross  will  be  unheard.  Charm  we 
never  so  wisely,  men  cannot  hear  the  music  until  the 
ears  of  the  heart  are  opened, 

14* 


322  spuegeon's  gems. 

IT  certainly  is  not  possible  for  us  to  be  in  a  position 
wliere  Omnipotence  cannot  assist  us.  God  liatli 
servants  everywliere,  and  wliere  we  think  be  bas 
none  bis  word  can  create  a  multitude.  There  are 
"  treasures  bid  in  the  sand,"  and  the  Lord's  chosen 
shall  eat  thereof.  When  the  clouds  bide  the  moun- 
tains they  are  as  real  as  in  the  sunshine  ;  so  the  pro- 
mise and  the  Providence  of  God  are  unchanged  bj 
the  obscurity  of  our  faith,  or  the  difficulties  of  our 
position.  There  is  hope,  and  hope  at  hand,  therefore, 
let  us  be  of  good  cheer. 


¥J1EN  heaven  smiles  and  pours  down  its  showers 
of  grace,  then  they  are  precious  things;  but 
without  the  celestial  rain  we  might  as  much  expect 
water  from  the  arid  waste,  as  a  real  blessing  in  the 
use  of  them.  "  All  my  springs  are  in  Thee,"  is  the 
believer's  daily  confession  to  his  Lord — a  confession 
which  until  death  must  ever  be  upon  his  lips. 


TKAYELLEES  have  been  delighted  to  see  the 
footprints  of  man  on  a  barren  shore,  and  we 
love  to  see  the  way-marks  of  the  pilgrimage  while 
passing  through  the  vale  of  tears.  Yea,  the  refuse 
and  debris  of  the  receding  camp  often  furnish  food  for 
the  stragglers  behind. 


spuegeon's  gems.  323 

AS  Isaac  met  his  bride  in  the  fields  at  eventide,  so 
do  true  sonls  frequently  find  their  joj  and  conso- 
lation in  the  loneliness  of  solitude,  and  at  the  sunset 
of  their  earthly  pleasures.  He  who  would  see  the 
stars  sparkling  with  tenfold  lustre  must  dwell  in  the 
cold  regions  of  snow ;  and  he  who  would  know  the 
full  beauties  of  Jesus,  the  bright  and  morning  star, 
must  see  him  amid  the  frosts  of  trouble  and  ad- 
versity. 


•  •  • 


AFFLICTION"  is  often  the  hand  of  God,  which  he 
places  before  our  face  to  enable  us,  like  Moses, 
to  see  the  train  of  his  glory  as  he  passes  by.  The 
saint  has  had  many  a  pleasant  view  of  God's  loving 
kindness  from  the  top  of  the  hills  of  mercy ;  but  tri- 
bulation is  very  frequently  the  Lord's  Pisgah,  from 
which  he  gives  them  a  view  of  the  land  in  aU  its 
length  and  breadth. 


•  •  • 


PIOUS  Brooks  writes,  "  Oh,  the  love-tokens,  the 
love-letters,  the  bracelets,  the  jewels  that  the 
saints  are  able  to  produce  since  they  have  been  in  the 
furnace  of  afiliction !"  Of  these  they  had  but  one 
in  a  season  before,  but  now  that  their  troubles  have 
driven  them  nearer  to  their  Saviour,  they  have 
enough  to  store  their  cabinet. 


324  spurgeon's  gems. 

IT  is  often  remarked  that  after  soul-sorrow  our  pas- 
tors are  more  gifted  witli  words  in  season,  and 
their  speech  is  more  full  of  savor :  this  is  to  be  ac- 
counted for  hj  the  sweet  influence  of  grief  when 
sanctified  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Blessed  Redeemer, 
we  delight  in  thy  love,  and  thy  presence  is  the  light 
of  our  joys ;  but  if  thy  brief  withdrawals  qualify  us 
for  glorfying  thee  in  cheering  thy  saints,  we  thank 
thee  for  standing  behind  the  wall ;  and  as  we  seek 
thee  by  night,  it  shall  somewhat  cheer  us  that  thou 
art  blessing  us  when  thou  takest  away  thy  richest 
blessing. 


OUR  faith  is  the  centre  of  the  target  at  which  God 
doth  shoot  when  he  tries  us,  and  if  any  other 
grace  shall  escape  untried,  certainly  faith  shall  not. 
There  is  no  way  of  piercing  faith  to  its  very  marrow 
like  the  sticking  of  the  arrow  of  desertion  in  it ;  this 
finds  it  out  whether  it  be  of  the  immortals  or  no. 
Strip  it  of  its  armor  of  conscious  enjoyment,  and 
suffer  the  terrors  of  the  Lord  to  set  themselves  in 
array  against  it,  and  that  is  faith  indeed  which  can 
escape  unhurt  from  the  midst  of  the  attack.  Faith 
must  be  tried,  and  desertion  is  the  furnace,  heated 
seven  times,  into  which  it  might  be  thrust.  Blest  is 
the  man  who  can  endure  the  ordeal. 


spukgeon's  gems.  325 

CHOICE  discoveries  of  the  wondrous  love  and 
grace  of  Jesus  are  most  tenderly  vouchsafed  unto 
believers  in  the  times  of  grief.  Then  it  is  that  he  lifts 
them  up  from  his  feet,  where,  like  Marj,  it  is  their 
delight  to  sit,  and  exalts  them  to  the  position  of  the 
favored  John,  pressing  them  to  his  breast  and  bid- 
ding them  lean  on  his  bosom.  Tlien  it  is  that  he 
doth  fill  the  cup  of  salvation  with  the  old  wine  of  the 
kingdom,  and  puts  it  to  the  mouth  of  the  Christian, 
that  he  may  in  some  measure  forget  the  flavor  of 
wormwood  and  grating  of  gravel- stones  which  the 
draught  of  bitterness  has  placed  upon  his  palate  and 
between  his  teeth. 


LET  us,  in  all  time  of  our  tribulation  and  affliction, 
content  ourselves  with  one  Comforter,  if  all 
others  fail  us.  Job  had  three  miserable  comforters ; 
better  far  to  have  one  who  is  full  of  pity  and  able  to 
console.  And  who  can  do  this  so  truly  as  our  own 
most  loving  Lord  Jesus  ? 


AS  in  time  of  war  the  city  doubles  its  guards,  so 
does  Jesus  multiply  the  displays  of  his  affection 
when  his  chosen  are  besieged  by  trials. 


S2Q  spuegeon's  gems. 

THE  intense  desire  after  Jesus,  the  struggling  of 
the  soul  with  doubts  and  fears,  and  the  inward 
panting  of  the  whole  being  after  the  living  God, 
prove  beyond  a  doubt  that  Jesus  is  at  work  in  the 
soul,  though  he  may  be  concealed  from  the  eye  of 
faith.  How  should  it,  therefore,  be  a  matter  of  won- 
der that  secretly  he  should  be  able  to  afford  support 
to  the  sinking  saint,  even  at  seasons  when  his  absence 
is  bemoaned  with  lamentations  and  tears  ? 


VE  learn  more  true  divinity  by  our  trials  than  by 
our  books.  The  great  Reformer  said,  "  Prayer 
is  the  best  book  in  my  library."  He  might  have 
added  affliction  as  the  next.  Sickness  is  the  best 
Doctor  of  Divinity  in  all  the  world  ;  and  trial  is  the 
finest  exposition  of  Scripture.  This  is  so  inestimable 
a  mark  of  the  love  of  our  blessed  Lord  that  we  might 
almost  desii'e  trouble  for  the  sake  of  it. 


•  •♦ 


ABLroD  man  is  really  nourished  by  the  food  he 
eats,  even  though  he  cannot  see  it ;  so,  when  by 
the  blindness  of  our  spiritual  wisdom,  we  are  unable 
to  discern  the  Saviour,  yet  his  grace  sustains  our 
strength  and  keeps  us  alive  in  famine. 


SPUEGEON  S   GEMS.  327 

LTJTBffiE  said  Temptation  was  one  of  Ms  masters 
in  divinity.  We  will  readily  trust  ourselves  in 
tlie  hands  of  a  physician  who  has  been  himself  sick 
of  our  disease,  and  has  tried  the  remedies  which  he 
prescribes  for  us  ;  so  we  confide  in  the  advice  of  the 
Christian  who  knows  our  trials  by  having  felt  them. 
"What  sweet  words  in  season  do  tried  saints  address 
to  mourners !  they  are  the  real  sons  of  consolation, 
the  truly  good  Samaritans. 


■♦••- 


GOD'S  own  glory  is  sometimes  his  only  motive  for 
action,  and  truly  it  is  a  reason  so  great  and  good 
that  he  who  mocks  at  it  must  be  a  stranger  to  God, 
and  cannot  be  truly  humbled  before  him.  It  may 
be  that  the  sole  cause  of  our  sad  condition  lies  in  the 
absolute  will  of  God  ;  if  so,  let  us  bend  oui*  heads  in 
silence,  and  let  him  do  what  seemeth  him  good. 


•  •• 


THE  Lord  Jesus  is  no  fair-weather  friend^  hut  one 
who  loveth  at  all  times — a  brother  horn  for  adver- 
sity. This  he  proves  to  his  beloved,  not  by  mere 
words  of  promise,  but  by  actual  deeds  of  affection. 
As  our  sufferings  abound,  so  he  makes  our  consola- 
tions to  abound. 


328  bpttrgeon's  gems. 

IF  Christ  is  more  excellent  at  one  time  ttan 
another  it  certainly  is  in  "  the  cloudy  and  dark 
day."  We  can  never  so  well  see  the  true  color  of 
Christ's  love  as  in  the  night  of  weeping.  Christ  in 
the  dungeon,  Christ  on  the  bed  of  sickness,  Christ  in 
poverty,  is  Christ  indeed  to  a  sanctified  man.  j^o 
vision  of  Christ  Jesus  is  so  truly  a  revelation  as  that 
which  is  seen  in  the  Patmos  of  suffering. 


•  •  • 


SUN'LIGHT  is  never  more  grateful  than  after  a 
long  watch  in  the  midnight  blackness  ;  Christ's 
presence  is  never  more  acceptable  than  after  a  time 
of  weeping,  on  account  of  his  departure.  It  is  a  sad 
thing  that  we  should  need  to  lose  our  mercies  to 
teach  us  to  be  grateful  for  them  ;  let  us  mourn  over 
this  crookedness  of  our  nature ;  and  let  us  strive  to 
express  our  thankfulness  for  mercies,  so  that  we  may 
not  have  to  lament  their  removal. 


¥E  often  miss  our  Lord's  company,  because  our 
conversation  does  not  please  him.  When  our 
Beloved  goes  down  into  his  garden,  it  is  to  feed 
there  and  gather  lilies ;  but  if  thorns  and  nettles 
are  the  only  products  of  the  soil,  he  will  soon  be 
away  to  the  true  beds  of  spices. 


SPUKQEON  S   GEMS.  329 

EIYALS  Jesus  will  not  endure ;  and  unless  we 
give  him  the  highest  throne  he  will  leave  ns 
to  mourn  his  absence.  Love  not  thj  wealth,  thy 
name,  thy  friends,  thy  life,  thy  comfort,  thy  hus- 
band, thy  wife,  or  thy  children,  more  than  thou 
lovest  him,  or  even  so  much ;  for  he  will  either 
take  tliem  from  thee,  or  else  his  own  delightful 
presence,  and  the  loss  of  either  would  be  an  evil 
not  worthy  the  idolatry  which  will  surely  engen- 
der it. 


•  »• 


IF  we  travel  slowly,  and  loiter  on  the  road,  Jesus 
will  go  on  before  us,  and  sin  will  overtake  us. 
If  we  are  dilatory  and  lazy  in  the  vineyard, 
the  Master  will  not  smile  on  us  when  he  walks 
through  his  garden.  Be  active,  and  exj)ect  Christ 
to  be  with  thee ;  be  idle,  and  the  thorns  and  briers 
will  grow  so  thickly,  that  he  will  be  shut  out  of 
thy  door. 


WEAISTESTG  is  sorrowful  work,  but  it  must  be 
done  :  we  must  be  made  to  groan  in  this  body 
that  we  may  be  made  ready  for  the  unclothing,  and 
the  "  clothing  upon,"  by  which  mortality  shall  be 
swallowed  up  of  life. 


330  spuegeon's  gems. 

EYIDEl^CES  are  like  conduit-pipes — they  are 
sometimes  the  channels  of  living  water,  but  if 
the  supply  from  the  fountain-head  be  cut  off  from 
them,  their  waters  utterly  fail.  That  man  will  die 
of  thirst  who  has  no  better  spring  to  look  to  than  an 
em]3ty  pitcher  of  evidences.  Ishmael  would  have 
perished  in  the  wilderness  if  his  only  hope  had  been 
in  the  bottle  which  his  mother  brought  out  with  her 
from  the  tent  of  Abraham;  and  assuredly  without 
direct  supplies  from  the  gracious  hands  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  the  saints  would  soon  be  in  an  ill  plight. 


♦  •♦ 


I]Sr  proportion  as  the  Master's  presence  is  delightful, 
his  absence  is  mournful.  Dark  is  the  night  which 
is  caused  by  the  setting  of  such  a  sun.  No  blow  of 
Providence  can  ever  wound  so  sorely  as  this.  A 
blasted  crop  is  as  nothing  compared  with  an  absent 
Redeemer ;  yea,  sickness  and  the  approach  of  death 
are  preferable  to  the  departure  of  Emanuel. 


C HEIST  is  a  flower,  but  he  fadeth  not ;  he 
is  a  river,  but  he  is  never  dry ;  he  is  a  sun, 
but  he  knoweth  no  eclipse ;  he  is  all  in  all,  but  he 
is  something  more  than  all. 


spuegeon's  gems.  331 

CHRIST  never  lingers  long  witli  dumb  sonls ;  if 
there  be  no  crying  out  to  liim,  he  loves  not 
silence,  and  he  departs  and  betakes  himself  to  those 
hearts  which  are  full  of  the  music  of  -prajer.  What 
a  marvellous  influence  prayer  has  upon  our  fellow- 
ship with  Jesus  !  We  may  always  measure  one  by 
the  other.  Those  pray  most  fervently  and  frequently 
who  have  been  constant  attendants  on  the  kind 
Intercessor ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  those  who 
wrestle  the  hardest  in  supj)lication  will  hold  the 
angel  the  longest.  Joshua's  voice  stayed  the  sun  in 
the  heavens  for  a  few  hours ;  but  the  voice  of  prayer 
can  detain  the  Sun  of  righteousness  for  months  and 
even  years. 


•  •• 


I]N"ASMUCII  as  the  heart  is  the  most  important 
part  of  man — for  out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life — it 
would  be  natural  to  expect  that  Satan,  when  he  in- 
tended to  do  mischief  to  manhood,  would  be  sure  to 
make  his  strongest  and  most  perpetual  attacks  upon 
the  heart.  What  we  might  have  guessed  in  wisdom 
is  certainly  true  in  experience ;  for  although  Satan 
will  tempt  and  try  us  in  every  way,  though  every 
gate  of  the  town  of  Mansoul  may  be  battered,  though 
against  every  part  of  the  walls  thereof  he  will  be  sure 
to  bring  out  his  great  guns,  yet  the  place  against 


332  spurgeon's  gems. 

wliicli  lie  levels  his  deadliest  malice  and  his  most 
furious  strength,  is  the  heart.  Into  the  heart,  already 
of  itself  evil  enough,  he  thrusts  the  seeds  of  every 
evil  thing,  and  doth  his  utmost  to  make  it  a  den  of 
unclean  birds,  a  garden  of  poisonous  trees,  a  river 
flowing  with  destructive  water.  Hence,  again,  arises 
the  second  necessity  that  we  should  be  doubly  cau- 
tious in  keeping  the  heart  with  all  diligence  ;  for  if, 
on  the  one  hand,  it  be  the  most  important,  and,  on 
the  other  hand,  Satan,  knowing  this,  makes  his  most 
furious  and  determined  attacks  against  it,  then,  with 
double  force  the  exhortation  comes,  "  Keep  thy  heart 
with  all  diligence."  And  the  promise  also  becomes 
doubly  sweet  from  the  very  fact  of  the  double  danger 
— the  promise  which  says,  "  The  peace  of  God  shall 
keep  your  hearts  and  minds  through  Christ  Jesus  our 

Lord." 

— •-•-• — 

HAPPY  is  the  man  whose  faith  can  see  in  the 
thick  darkness,  and  whose  soul  can  live  in  the 
year  of  drought ;  but  that  man  is  not  far  from  a  curse 
who  slights  the  fellowship  of  the  Lord,  and  esteems 
his  smile  to  be  a  vain  thing.  It  is  an  ill  sign  if  any 
of  us  are  in  a  contented  state  when  we  are  forsaken 
of  the  Lord  ;  it  is  not  faith  but  wicked  indifference, 
which  makes  us  careless  concerning  communion  with 
him. 


spuegeon's  gems.  333 

IS  my  conscience  at  peace  ?     For,  if  my  heart  con- 
demn me  not,  God  is  greater  than  my  heart,  and 
doth  know  all  things  ;  if  my  conscience  bear  witness 
with  me,  that  I  am  a  partaker  of  the  precious  grace  of 
salvation,  then  happy  am  I !     I  am  one  of  those  to 
whom  God  hath  given  the  peace  which  passeth  all 
imderstanding.     JSTow,  why  is  this  called  "the  peace 
of  God  ?"     We  siip230se  it  is  because  it  comes  from 
God — ^because  it  was  planned  by  God — because  God 
gave  his  Son  to  make  the  peace — ^because  God  gives 
his  Spirit  to  give  the  peace  in  the  conscience — be- 
cause, indeed,  it  is  God  himself  in  the  soul,  recon- 
ciled to  man,  whose  is  the  peace.     And  while  it  is 
true  that  this  man  shall  have  the  peace — even  the 
Man-Christ,  yet  we  know  it  is  because  he  was  the 
God-Christ  that  he  was  our  peace.     And  hence  we 
may  clearly  perceive  how  Godhead  is  mixed  up  with 
the  peace   which   we   enjoy   with   our  Maker   and 
with  our  conscience. 


THE  boldness  of  lion-like  courage,  the  firmness  of 
rooted  decision,  the  confidence  of  unflinchinoj 
faith,  the  zeal  of  quenchless  love,  the  vigor  of  un- 
dying devotion,  the  sweetness  of  sanctified  fellowship 
— all  hang  for  support  upon  the  one  pillar  of  the 
Saviour's  presence,  and  this  removed  they  fail. 


334  spurgeon's  gems. 

DIOGEISrES  may  tell  us  to  do  without  everjtliing, 
and    live   in   his  tub,  and    then  think  himself 
happier  than  Alexander,  and  that  he  enjoys  peace  ; 
but  we  may  look  upon  the  poor  creature  after  all,  and 
though  we  may  be  astonished  at  his  courage,  yet  we 
are  obliged  to  despise  his  folly.     We  do  not  believe 
that  even  when  he  had  dispensed  with  everything, 
he  possessed  a  quiet  mind,  a  total  and  entire  peace, 
such  as  the  true  believer  can  enjoy.     TVe  find  the 
greatest  philosophers  of  old  laying  down  maxims  for 
life  which  they  thought   would   certainly  promote 
happiness.     We  find  that  they  were  not  always  able 
to  practise  them  themselves  ;  and  many  of  their  dis- 
ciples, when  they  labored  hard  to  put  them  in  execu- 
tion, found  themselves  encumbered  with  impossible 
rules  to  accomplish  impossible  objects.     But  a  Christ- 
ian man  does  with  faith  what  man  can  never  do 
himself.     While  the  poor  understanding  is  climbing 
up  the  crags,  faith  stands  on  the  summit;  while  the 
poor  understanding  is  getting  into  a   calm  atmos- 
phere, faith  flies  aloft  and  mounts  higher  than  the 
Btorm,  and  then  looks  down  on  the  valley  and  smiles 
while  the  tempest  blows  beneath  its  feet.   Faith  goes 
further  than  understanding,  and  the  peace  which  the 
Christian  enjoys  is  one  which  the  worldling  cannot 
comprehend  and  cannot  himself  attain.     "  The  peace 
of  God  which  passeth  all  understanding." 


SPUEGEON  S   GEMS.  o35 

YOU  cannot  have  peace  unless  you  turn  yonr 
troubles  up.  You  have  no  place  in  which  to 
pour  your  troubles  except  the  ear  of  God.  If  you 
tell  them  to  your  friends,  you  but  put  your  troubles 
out  a  moment,  and  they  will  return  again.  If  you 
tell  them  to  God,  you  put  your  troubles  into  the 
grave ;  they  will  never  rise  again  when  you  have 
committed  them  to  him.  If  you  roll  your  burden 
anywhere  else  it  will  roll  back  again,  just  like  the 
stone  of  Sisyphus ;  but  just  roll  your  burden  unto 
God,  and  you  have  rolled  it  into  a  great  deej),  out 
of  which  it  will  never  by  any  possibility  rise.  Cast 
your  troubles  where  you  cast  your  sins ;  you  have 
cast  your  sins  into  the  depths  of  the  sea,  there  cast 
your  troubles  also.  E'ever  keep  a  trouble  half  an 
hour  on  your  own  mind  before  you  tell  it  to  God. 
As  soon  as  the  trouble  comes,  quick,  the  first  thing, 
tell  it  to  your  Father. 


M 


OST  of  us  have  a  lover  and  idol  besides  our  hus- 
band, Christ ;  but  it  is  our  folly  to  divide  our 
narrow  and  little  love  ;  it  will  not  serve  for  two.  It  is 
best  then,  to  hold  it  whole  and  together,  and  to  give 
it  to  Christ ;  for  then  we  get  double  interest  for  oui 
love,  when  we  lend  it  to,  and  lay  it  out  upon,  Christ ; 
and  we  are  sure,  besides,  that  the  stock  cannot  perish. 


336  spurgeon's  gems. 

I  HA  YE  seen  the  Christian  man  in  the  depths  of 
poverty,  when  he  lived  from  hand  to  mouth,  and 
scarcely  knew  where  he  should  find  the  next  meal, 
still  with  his  mind  unruffled,  calm,  and  quiet.  If  he 
had  been  as  rich  as  an  Indian  prince,  yet  could  he 
not  have  had  less  care ;  if  he  had  been  told  that  his 
bread  should  always  come  to  his  door,  and  the  stream 
which  ran  hard  by  should  never  dry — if  he  had  been 
quite  sure  that  ravens  would  bring  him  bread  and 
meat  in  the  morning,  and  again  in  the  evening,  he 
would  not  have  been  one  whit  more  calm.  There  is 
his  neighbor  on  the  other  side  of  the  street  not  half 
so  poor,  but  wearied  from  morning  to  night,  working 
his  fingers  to  the  bone,  bringing  himself  to  the  grave 
with  anxiety ;  but  this  poor  good  man,  after  having 
industriously  labored,  though  he  found  he  had  gained 
little  with  all  his  toil,  yet  hath  sanctified  his  little  by 
prayer,  and  hath  thanked  his  Father  for  what  he  had ; 
and  though  he  doth  not  know  whether  he  will  have 
more,  still  he  trusteth  in  God,  and  declareth  that  his 
faith  should  not  fail  him,  though  providence  should 
run  to  a  lower  ebb  than  he  had  ever  seen.  There  is 
"  the  peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  understanding." 
I  have  seen  that  peace,  too,  in  the  case  of  those  who 
have  lost  their  friends.  There  is  a  widow — ^her  much 
loved  husband  lies  in  the  coffin ;  she  is  soon  to  part 
with  him.     Parted  with  him  she  has  before ;   but 


SPUBGEON  S   GEMS.  337 

now,  of  liis  poor  clay-cold  corpse — even  of  that  slie 
has  to  be  bereaved.  She  looks  upon  it  for  the  last 
time,  and  her  heart  is  heavy.  For  herself  and  her 
children,  she  thinks  how  they  shall  be  provided  for. 
That  broad  tree  that  once  sheltered  them  from  the 
sunbeam  has  been  cut  down.  ITow,  she  thinks  there 
is  a  broad  heaven  above  her  head,  and  her  Maker  is 
her  husband ;  the  fatherless  children  are  left  with 
God  for  their  father,  and  the  widow  is  trusting  in 
him.  With  tears  in  her  eyes  she  still  looks  up,  and 
she  says,  "  Lord,  thou  hast  given  and  thou  hast  taken 
away,  blessed  be  thy  name."  Her  husband  is  car- 
ried to  the  tomb  ;  she  doth  not  smile,  but  though  she 
weeps,  there  is  a  calm  composure  on  her  brow,  and 
she  tells  you  she  would  not  have  it  otherwise,  even 
if  she  could,  for  Jehovah's  will  is  right. 


IF  we  are  ever  privileged  to  receive  Jesus  under 
our  roof,  let  us  make  haste  to  secure  the  door 
that  he  may  not  soon  be  gone.  If  he  sees  us  care- 
less concerning  him,  and  cold  towards  him,  he  will 
soon  arise  and  go  hence.  He  will  not  intrude  him- 
self where  he  is  not  wanted ;  he  needs  no  lodging, 
for  the  heaven  of  heavens  is  his  perpetual  palace, 
and  there  b6  many  hearts  of  the  contrite  where  he 
will  find  a  hearty  welcome. 

15 


838  SPUKGEON  S   GEMS. 

IOISTCE  remember  to  have  heard  a  woman  saj 
wlien  I  was  passing  down  a  lane — a  child  stood 
crying  at  the  door,  and  I  heard  her  calling  out — 
"  Ah,  yon  are  crying  for  nothing ;  I  will  give  you 
something  to  cry  for."  Brethren,  it  is  often  so  with 
God's  children.  Tliey  get  crying  for  nothing.  They 
have  a  miserable  disposition,  or  a  turn  of  mind 
always  making  miseries  for  themselves,  and  thus 
they  have  something  to  cry  for.  Their  peace  is  dis- 
turbed, some  sad  trouble  comes,  God  hides  his  face, 
and  then  they  lose  their  peace.  But  keep  on  sing- 
ing, even  when  the  sun  does  not  keep  on  shining ; 
keep  a  song  for  all  weathers ;  get  a  joy  that  will 
stand  clouds  and  storms  ;  and  then,  when  you  know 
how  always  to  rejoice,  you  shall  have  this  peace. 


AGAINST  the  child  of  God  conscience  brings  no 
accusation,  or  if  it  brings  the  accusation,  it  is  but 
a  gentle  one — a  gentle  chiding  of  a  loving  friend 
who  hints  that  we  have  done  amiss,  and  that  we  had 
better  change,  but  doth  not  afterwards  thunder  in 
our  ears  the  threat  of  a  penaltj^  Conscience  knows 
full  well  that  peace  is  made  betwixt  the  soul  and 
God,  and,  therefore,  it  does  not  hint  that  there  is  any 
thing  else  but  joy  and  peace  to  be  looked  forward  to 
by  the  believer. 


spurgeon's  gems.  339 

THEEE  is  Martin  Luther  standing  up  in  the  midst 
of  the  Diet  of  Worms ;  there  are  the  kings  and  the 
princes,  and  there  are  the  bloodhounds  of  Eome  with 
their  tongues  thirsting  for  his  blood — there  is  Martin 
rising  in  the  morning  as  comfortable  as  possible,  and 
he  goes  to  the  Diet,  and  delivers  himself  of  the  truth, 
solemnly  declares  that  the  things  which  he  has 
spoken  are  the  things  which  he  believes,  and  God 
helping  him,  he  will  stand  by  them  till  the  last.  There 
is  his  life  in  his  hands  ;  they  have  him  entirely  in  their 
power.  The  smell  of  John  Huss's  corpse  has  not  yet 
passed  away,  and  he  recollects  that  princes,  before 
this,  have  violated  their  words  ;  but  there  he  stands, 
calm  and  quiet ;  he  fears  no  man,  for  he  has  naught 
to  fear  ;  "  the  peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  under- 
standing keeps  his  heart  and  mind  through  Jesus 
Christ."  There  is  another  scene :  there  is  John 
Bradford  in  E'ewgate.  He  is  to  be  burned  the  next 
morning  in  Smithfield,  and  he  swings  himself  on  the 
bedpost  in  very  glee,  and  delights,  for  to-morrow  is 
his  wedding  day ;  and  he  says  to  another,  "  Fine 
shining  we  shall  make  to-morrow,  when  the  flame  is 
kindled."  And  he  smiles  and  laughs,  and  enjoys  the 
very  thought  that  he  is  about  to  wear  the  blood-red 
crown  of  martyrdom.  Is  Bradford  mad  ?  Ah,  no  ; 
but  he  has  got  the  peace  of  God  that  i)asseth  all 
understanding.     But  perhaps  the  most  beautiful,  as 


SiO  8PUKGE0N  S   GEMS. 

well  as  tlie  most  common  illustration  of  this  sweet 
peace,  is  the  dying  bed  of  tlie  believer.  Oli,  brethren, 
jou  have  seen  this  sometimes — that  calm,  quiet  ser- 
enity ;  you  have  said,  Lord,  let  us  die  with  him.  It 
has  been  so  good  to  be  in  that  solitary  chamber 
where  all  was  quiet,  and  so  still,  all  the  world  shut 
out,  and  heaven  shut  in,  and  the  poor  heart  neaiing 
its  God,  and  far  away  from  all  its  past  bm-dens  and 
griefs — now  nearing  the  portals  of  eternal  bliss 
And  ye  have  said,  "  How  is  this  ?  Is  not  death  a 
black  and  o^i-im  thino;  ?  Ai'e  not  the  terrors  of  the 
grave  things  which  make  the  strong  man  tremble  ? 
Oh  yes,  they  are  ;  but,  then,  this  one  has  the  "  peace 
of  God  which  passeth  all  understanding." 

>  >  > 


"TT7"E  never  live  so  well  as  when  we  live  on  the 
'  '  Lord  Jesus  simply  as  he  is,  and  not  upon  our 
enjoyments  and  raptm-es.  Faith  is  never  more  likely 
to  increase  in  strength  than  in  times  which  seem  ad- 
verse to  her.  TThen  she  is  lightened  of  trust  in  joys, 
experiences,  frames,  feelings,  and  the  like,  she  rises 
the  nearer  heaven,  like  the  balloon  when  the  bags  of 
sand  are  emptied.  Trust  in  thy  Eedeemer's  strength, 
thou  benighted  soul ;  exercise  what  faith  thou  hast, 
and  by  and  by  he  shall  rise  upon  thee  with  healing 
beneath  his  wings. 


spurgeon's  gems.  34:1 

OH!  true  believer,  is  there  no  strange  god  with, 
thee  ?  Make  a  thorough  search.  Bid  even  thy 
beloved  Rachel  rise,  for  the  teraph  is  often  concealed 
beneath  the  place  where  she  sitteth.  Say  not  in 
haste,  I  am  no  idolater.  The  approaches  of  this  sin 
are  insidious  in  the  extreme,  and  ere  thou  knowest 
it  thou  art  entangled  in  its  iron  net.  The  love  of  the 
creature  has  a  bewitching  power  over  men,  and  they 
seldom  know  the  treachery  of  the  Delilah  until  their 
locks  are  shorn.  Oh,  daughters  of  Zion,  let  King 
Solomon  alone  have  your  love  ;  rehearse  his  name  in 
your  songs,  and  write  his  achievements  on  your 
memories  ;  so  will  he  dwell  in  the  city  of  David  and 
ride  through  your  midst  in  his  chariot  paved  with 
love  for  you  /  but  if  ye  pay  homage  to  any  save 
himself,  he  will  return  unto  his  place  and  make  your 
beauteous  city  a  by-word  with  the  enemy. 


EEJMEMBEE,  that  in  proportion  to  the  fullness 
of  thine  heart  will  be  the  fullness  of  thy  life. 
Be  empty-hearted  and  thy  life  will  be  a  meagre, 
skeleton  existence.  Be  full-hearted  and  thy  life  will 
be  full,  fleshy,  gigantic,  strong,  a  thing  that  will  tell 
upon  the  world.  Keep,  then,  thy  peace  with  God 
firm  witliin  thee.  Keep  thou  close  to  this,  that 
Jesus   Christ  hath  made   peace  between  thee  and 


34:2  spuegeon's  gems. 

God.  And  keep  thy  conscience  still ;  then  shall  thy 
heart  be  full  and  thy  soul  strong  to  do  thy  Master's 
work.  Keep  thy  peace  with  God.  This  will  keep 
thy  heart  pure.  Thou  wilt  say  if  temptation  comes, 
"  What  dost  thou  offer  me  ?  Thou  offerest  me  plea- 
sure ;  lo !  I  have  got  it.  Thou  offerest  me  gold ;  lo ! 
I  have  got  it ;  all  things  are  mine,  the  gift  of  God ; 
I  have  a  city  that  hands  have  not  made,  '  a  house 
not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens.'  I 
will  not  barter  this  for  your  poor  gold."  "I  will 
give  you  honor,"  saith  Satan.  "  I  have  honor 
enough,"  says  the  peaceful  heart ;  "  God  will  honor 
me  in  the  last  great  day  of  his  account."  "  I  will 
give  thee  everything  that  thou  canst  desire,"  saith 
Satan.  "  I  have  everything  that  I  can  desu'e,"  says 
the  Chi-istian. 


■»♦♦■ 


~E  will  never  lack  appetite  for  spiritual  things 
who  lives  much  on  them.  The  poor  profes- 
sor may  be  content  with  a  few  of  Christ's  pence 
now  and  then,  but  he  who  is  rich  in  grace  thinks 
BO  small  an  income  beneath  his  station,  and  cannot 
live  unless  he  has  golden  gifts  from  the  hand  of  his 
Lord;  he  will  covet  earnestly  this  best  of  gifts,  and 
be  a  very  miser  after  the  precious  things  of  the 
cross. 


SPUBaEON's  GEMS.  343 

WKEN  our  wondering  eyes  have  admired  the 
beauties  of  our  Saviour  for  millions  of  years 
we  shall  be  quite  as  willing  to  continue  the  medi- 
tation, supremely  blest  with  that  heaven  which 
our  eyes  shall  drink  in  from  his  wounded  hands 
and  side.  The  marrow  of  heaven  is  Jesus;  and 
as  we  shall  never  be  surfeited  with  bliss,  so  we 
shall  never  have  too  much  of  Jesus.  Fresh  glories 
are  discovered  in  him  every  hour ;  his  person,  work, 
offices,  character,  affection,  and  relationships,  are 
each  of  them  clusters  of  stars  which  the  eye  of 
contemplation  will  view  with  unutterable  astonish- 
ment as  they   are  in  their   order  revealed  to  the 

mind. 

— »» » 

ANGELS'  visits  are  few  and  far  between :  when 
we  have  the  happiness  of  meeting  there- 
with, let  us,  like  Jacob,  manfully  grasp  the  angel, 
and  detain  him,  at  least  until  he  leaves  a  blessing. 
Up,  Christian,  with  a  holy  bravery,  and  lay  hold  on 
the  mercy  while  it  is  within  reach !  The  Son  of 
Man  loves  those  who  hold  him  tightly.  He  will  not 
resent  the  familiarity,  but  will  approve  of  thine  ear- 
nestness. Let  the  loving  bride  of  the  Canticles 
teach  thee  by  her  example,  for  she  glories  in  her 
deed  when  she  sings,  "  I  found  him  whom  my  soul 
loveth,  I  held  him,  and  I  would  not  let  him  go." 


344  sptirgeon's  gems. 

HAPPY  are  the  spirits  who  have  ended  their  fight 
of  faith,  and  now  live  in  the  raptures  of  a  sight 

of    Him  ;    yea,  thrice    happy    are    the    lowest    of 
those  seraphs  who  fly  at  his  bidding,  and  do  forever 

behold  the  face  of  our  Father  which  is  in  heaven.   The 

drought  of  these  dry  plains  stirreth  us  to  desire  the 

river  of  the  water  of  life ;  the  barren  -Rg  trees  of  this 

weary  land  urge  us  to  pursue  a  speedy  path  to  the 

immortal  trees  upon  the  banks  of  the  river  of  God  ; 

our  clouds  exhort  us  to  fly  above  this  lower  sky  up 

where  unclouded   ages  roll ;   the   very  thorns  and 

briers,  the  dust  and  heat  of  this  world's  pilgrimage 

and  strife,  are  powerful  orators  to  excite  our  highest 

thoughts  to  the  things  which  are  unseen  and  eternal. 


LOOK!  look!  look  with  solemn  eye  through  the 
shades  that  part  us  from  the  world  of  sj)irits, 
and  see  that  house  of  misery  which  men  call  hell ! 
Ye  cannot  endure  the  spectacle.  Pemember  that  in 
that  place  there  are  spirits  forever  paying  their  debt 
to  divine  justice ;  but  though  some  of  them  have  been 
for  these  four  thousand  years  sweltering  in  the  flame 
they  are  no  nearer  a  discharge  than  when  they  began ; 
and  when  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  years  shall 
have  rolled  away,  they  will  no  more  have  made  satis- 
faction to  God  for  their  guilt  than  they  have  done 


spuegeon's  gems.  345 

up  till  now.  And  now  can  you  grasp  the  thought  of 
the  greatness  of  jour  Saviour's  meditation  when  he 
paid  your  debt,  and  paid  it  all  at  once ;  so  that  there 
now  remaineth  not  one  farthing  of  debt  owing  from 
Christ's  people  to  their  God,  except  a  debt  of  love. 
To  justice  the  believer  oweth  nothing ;  though  he 
owed  originally  so  much  that  eternity  would  not  have 
been  long  enough  to  suffice  for  the  paying  of  it,  yet 
in  one  moment  Christ  did  pay  it  all,  so  that  the  man 
who  believeth  is  entirely  justified  from  all  guilt,  and 
set  free  from  all  punishment,  through  what  Jesus 
hath  done.  Think  ye,  then,  how  great  his  atone- 
ment if  he  hath  done  all  this. 


BLESSED  be  God,  the  green  pastures  and  the  still 
waters,  the  shepherd's  crook  and  pleasant  com- 
pany, are  objects  which  are  quite  as  familiar  to  the 
believer's  mind  as  the  howling  wilderness  and  the 

brandished  rod. 

— •-%-• — 

THE  meanest  lamb  of  the  blood-bought  flock  shall 
be  preserved  securely  by  the  "strength  of  Israel" 
unto  the  day  of  his  appearing,  and  shall,  through 
every  season  of  tribulation  and  distress,  continue  to 
be  beloved  of  the  Lord. 

15* 


34:6  spuegeon's  gems. 

\  in  IRE  will  not  tarry  in  a  single  coal,  but  if  many 
^^-L  be  laid  together  it  will  be  long  before  it  is  clean 
gone.  A  single  tree  may  not  afford  mnch  shelter  for 
a  traveller,  but  lie  will  rest  beneath  the  thick  bonghs 
of  the  grove :  so  will  Jesus  often  sit  longer  where 
many  of  "  the  trees  of  the  Lord  "  are  planted.  Go  to 
the  assemblies  of  the  saints,  if  you  would  keep  the 
arm  of  the  King  of  saints.  Those  who  dwell  most 
with  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem  are  most  likely  to 
have  a  goodly  share  of  Emanuel's  company. 


•  •• 


A  LITTLE  filth  acquired  every  day,  if  it  be  left 
unwashed,  will  make  us  as  black  as  if  we  had 
been  plunged  in  the  mire ;  and  as  sin  upon  the  con- 
science turns  Christ's  joy  out  of  the  heart,  it  will  be 
impossible  for  us  to  feel  the  delights  of  communion 
until  all  our  everyday  sins  have  been  washed  from 
the  conscience  by  a  fresh  application  of  the  atoning 
blood. 


AS  plants  thrive  not  when  the  light  is  kept  from 
them,  but  become  blanched  and  unhealthy,  so 
souls  deprived  of  the  light  of  God's  countenance  are 
unable  to  maintain  the  verdure  of  their  piety  or  the 
strength  of  their  graces.    "What  a  loss  is  a  lost  Christ ! 


spurgeon's  gems.  347 

WHEN  the  Lord  Jesus  is  present  in  the  soul,  and 
is  beheld  by  it,  ambition,  covetousness,  and 
worldliness  flee  apace  ;  for  such  is  his  apparent  glory 
that  earthly  objects  fade  away  like  the  stars  in  noon- 
day ;  but  when  he  is  gone  they  will  show  their  false 
glitter,  as  the  stars,  however  small,  will  shine  at 
midnight. 


TRUST  the  Lord  much  while  he  is  with  you. 
Keep  no  secrets  from  him.  His  secrets  are  with 
you ;  let  your  secrets  be  with  him.  Jesus  admires 
confidence,  and  if  it  be  not  afforded  him,  he  will  say, 
"  Farewell,"  until  we  can  trust  him  better. 


•  •• 


IF  thou  desirest  Christ  for  a  perpetual  guest,  give 
him  all  the  keys  of  thine  heart ;  let  not  one  cabi- 
net be  locked  up  from  him  ;  give  him  the  range  of 
every  room,  and  the  key  of  every  chamber ;  thus  you 
will  constrain  him  to  remain. 


■•♦• 


I  HAD  rather  put  my  foot  upon  a  bridge  as  narrow 
as  Hungerford,  which  went  all  the  way  across,  than 
on  a  bridge  that  was  as  wide  as  the  world,  if  it  did 
not  go  all  the  way  across  the  stream. 


348  spuegeon's  gems. 

PUnSTCES  have  melted  pearls  into  the  wine  where- 
with they  entertained  monarchs ;  let  ns  do  the 
same.  Let  ns  make  rich  offerings  to  Jesus  ;  let  our 
duties  be  more  faithfully  discharged,  our  labors 
more  willingly  performed,  and  let  our  zeal  be  more 
eminently  fervent. 


•  •• 


¥HATEYEIl  our  frame  or  feeling,  the  heart  of 
Jesus  is  full  of  love — ^love  which  was  not  caused 
by  our  good  behavior,  and  is  not  diminished  by  our 
follies — ^love  which  is  as  sure  in  the  night  of  dark- 
ness, as  in  the  brightness  of  the  day  of  joy. 


*  »•■ 


¥BLE]Sr  Christ  is  with  the  Christian,  the  means  of 
grace  are  like  flowers  in  the  sunshine,  smelling 
fragrantly  and  smiling  beauteously;  but  without 
Christ  they  are  like  flowers  by  night,  their  fountains 
of  fragrance  are  sealed  by  the  darkness. 


JESUS  will  never  tarry  in  a  divided  heart.  He 
must  be  all  or  nothing.  Search  thy  heart ;  de- 
throne its  idols;  eject  all  interlopers;  chastise  all 
trespassers;  yea,  slay  the  Diabolians  who  lurk  in 
thy  soul. 


spukgeon's  gems.  349 

THERE  is  a  story  told,  that  in  tlie  olden  times, 
Artaxerxes  and  another  great  king  were  engaged 
in  a  furious  fight.  In  the  middle  of  the  battle  a  sud- 
den eclipse  happened,  and  such  was  the  horror  of 
all  the  warriors,  that  they  made  peace  there  and 
then.  Oh,  if  an  eclipse  of  trouble  should  induce  you 
to  ground  arms  and  seek  to  be  reconciled  unto  God  ! 
Sinner,  you  are  fighting  against  God,  lifting  the  arm 
of  your  rebellion  against  him.  Happy  shall  you  be 
if  that  trouble  which  is  now  fallen  uj)on  you  should 
lead  you  to  throw  down  the  weapons  of  your  rebel- 
lion, and  fly  to  the  arms  of  God  and  say,  "  Lord  have 
mercy  upon  me  a  sinner."  It  will  be  the  best  thing 
that  thou  hast  ever  had.  Thy  trouble  will  be  far 
better  to  thee  than  joys  could  have  been,  if  thy  sor- 
rows shall  induce  thee  to  fly  to  Jesus  who  can  make 
peace  through  the  blood  of  his  cross. 


•  ♦  • 


A  PORTION  of  the  Lord's  family  live  usually  in 
the  shade :  they  are  like  those  sweet  flowers 
which  bloom  nowhere  so  well  as  in  the  darkest  and 
thickest  glades  of  the  forest. 


THE  sun  will  shine  on  the  dunghill,  but  Christ 
will  not  shine  on  the  back-slider  while  he  is  in- 
dulging in  his  lusts. 


350  spukgeon's  gems. 

IF  there  be  a  place  under  high  heaven  more  holy 
than  another,  it  is  the  pulpit  whence  the  gospel  is 
preached.  This  is  the  Thermopylae  of  Christendom  ; 
here  must  the  great  battle  be  fought  between  Christ's 
church  and  the  invading  hosts  of  a  wicked  world. 
This  is  the  last  vestige  of  anything  sacred  that  is  left 
to  us.  We  have  no  altars  now  ;  Christ  is  our  altar : 
but  we  have  a  pulpit  still  left,  a  place  which,  when  a 
man  entereth,  he  might  well  put  ojff  his  shoes  from 
his  feet,  for  the  place  whereon  he  standeth  is  holy. 
Consecrated  by  a  Saviour's  presence,  established  by 
the  clearness  and  the  force  of  an  apostle's  eloquence, 
maintained  and  upheld  by  the  faithfulness  and  fer- 
vor of  a  succession  of  evangelists  who,  like  stars, 
have  marked  the  era  in  which  they  lived,  and 
stamped  it  with  their  names,  the  pulpit  is  handed 
down  to  those  of  us  who  occupy  it  now  with  a  prestige 
of  everything  that  is  great  and  holy.  Yet  I  have  seen 
the  wicked  come  and  go  from  it.  Alas  !  if  there  be 
a  sinner  that  is  hardened,  it  is  the  man  that  sins  and 
occupies  his  pulpit.  "We  have  heard  of  such  a  man 
living  in  the  commission  of  the  foulest  sins,  and  at 
length  has  been  discovered  ;  and  yet  such  is  the  filthi- 
ness  of  mankind,  that  when  he  began  to  preach  to  the 
people  again,  they  clustered  round  the  beast  for  the 
mere  sake  of  hearing  what  he  would  say  to  them. 
We  have  known  cases,  too,  where  men,  when  con- 


sptjegeon's  gems.  351 

victed  to  their  own  forehead,  have  nnblushingly  per- 
severed in  proclaiming  a  gospel  which  their  lives 
denied.  And  perhaps  these  are  the  hardest  of  all 
sinners  to  deal  with.  But  if  the  garment  be  once 
defiled,  away  with  all  thoughts  of  the  pnlpit  then  ! 
He  must  be  clean  who  ministers  at  the  altar.  Every 
saint  must  be  holy,  but  he,  holiest  of  all,  who  seeks 
to  serve  his  God.  Yet,  we  must  mourn  to  say  it,  the 
church  of  God  every  now  and  then  has  had  a  sun 
that  was  black  instead  of  white,  and  a  moon  that  was 
as  a  clot  of  blood,  instead  of  being  full  of  fairness  and 
beauty.  Happy  the  church  when  God  gives  her  holy 
ministers  ;  but  unhappy  the  church  where  wicked  men 
preside.  I  know  ministers  to  this  day,  however,  who 
know  more  about  fishing  rods  than  they  do  about  chap- 
ters in  the  Bible  ;  more  about  fox-hounds  than  about 
hunting  after  men's  souls ;  who  understand  a  great  deal 
more  of  the  spring  and  the  net  than  they  do  of  the  net 
for  catching  souls,  or  earnest  exhortations  for  men  to  flee 
from  the  wrath  to  come.  We  know  such  even  now :  still 
uproarious  at  a  farmer's  dinner,  still  the  very  loudest 
to  give  the  toast  and  clash  the  glass,  still  mightiest 
among  the  mighty,  fond  of  the  gay,  the  wild,  and  the 
dissolute.  Pity  on  the  church  that  still  allows  it !  Hap- 
py the  day  when  all  such  persons  shall  be  purged  from 
the  pulpit ;  then  shall  it  stand  forth  ''  clear  as  the  sun, 
fair  as  the  moon,  and  terrible  as  an  army  with  banners." 


352  sphrgeon's  gems. 

YOU  need  not  dispute  divine  decrees,  bnt  sit  do^n 
and  draw  honey  out  of  this  rock,  and  wine  out  of 
this  flinty  rock.  Oh,  it  is  a  hard,  hard  doctrine  to  a 
man  who  has  no  interest  in  it,  but  when  a  man  has 
once  a  title  to  it,  then  it  is  like  the  rock  in  the  wil- 
derness ;  it  streams  with  refreshing  water  whereat 
myriads  may  drink  and  never  thirst  again.  "Well  does 
the  Church  of  England  say  of  that  doctrine,  it  "  is  full 
of  sweet,  pleasant,  and  unspeakable  comfort  to  godly 
persons."  And  though  it  be  like  the  Tarpeian  rock, 
whence  many  a  malefactor  has  been  dashed  to  pieces 
in  presumption,  yet  it  is  like  Pisgah,  from  whose 
lofty  summit  the  spires  of  heaven  may  be  seen  in  the 

distance. 

>  •  > — 


O'N'E  reformation  will  never  serve  the  church  ;  she 
needs  continually  to  be  wound  up,  and  set  a- 
going  afresh ;  for  her  works  run  down,  and  she  does 
not  act  as  she  used  to  do.  The  bold,  bald  doctrines 
that  Luther  brought  out,  began  to  be  a  little  modi- 
fied, until  layer  after  layer  was  deposited  upon  them, 
and  at  last  the  old  rocky  truth  was  covered  up,  and 
there  grew  upon  the  superficial  subsoil  an  abundance 
of  green  and  flowery  errors,  that  looked  fair  and 
beautiful,  but  were  in  no  way  whatever  related  to 
the  truth^  except  as  they  were  the  products  of  its 
decay.     Tlien  there  came  bold  men  who  brought  the 


sptjrgeon's  gems.  353 

trutli  out  again,  and  said,  "  Clear  away  this  rubbish ; 
let  tlie  blast  light  upon  these  deceitful  beauties  ;  we 
want  them  not ;  bring  out  the  old  truth  once  more !" 
And  it  came  out.  But  the  tendency  of  the  church 
perpetually  is,  to  be  coyering  up  its  own  naked  sim- 
plicity, forgetting  that  the  truth  is  never  so  beautiful 
as  when  it  stands  in  its  own  unadorned,  God-given 
glory.  And  now,  at  this  time,  we  want  to  have  the 
old  truths  restored  to  their  places.  The  subtleties  and 
the  refinements  of  the  preacher  must  be  laid  aside. 
We  must  give  up  the  grand  distinctions  of  the 
school-men,  and  all  the  lettered  technicalities  of  men 
who  have  studied  theology  as  a  system,  but  have  not 
felt  the  power  of  it  in  their  hearts ;  and  when  the 
good  old  truth  is  once  more  preached  by  men  whose 
lips  are  touched  as  with  a  live  coal  from  ofi"  the  altar, 
this  shall  be  the  instrument,  in  the  hand  of  the  Spirit, 
for  bringing  about  a  great  and  thorough  revival  of 
religion  in  the  land. 

•  •• 


LITTLE  do  we  know  when  we  look  here  from  this 
pulpit — it  looks  like  one  great  field  of  flowers, 
fair  to  look  upon — ^liow  many  a  root  of  deadly  hen- 
bane and  noxious  nightshade  groweth  here ;  and 
though  you  all  look  fair  and  goodly,  yet  "  I  have  seen 
the  wicked  come  and  go  from  the  place  of  the  holy." 


354:  bpuegeon's  gems. 

SOLDIEK  of  tlie  cross  !  the  lioiir  is  coming  when 
the  note  of  victory  shall  be  proclaimed  through- 
out the  world.  The  battlements  of  the  enemy  must 
soon  succumb ;  the  swords  of  the  mighty  must 
soon  be  given  up  to  the  Lord  of  lords.  "What ! 
soldier  of  the  cross !  in  the  day  of  victory  wouldst 
thou  have  it  said  that  thou  didst  turn  thy  back  in  tlie 
day  of  battle  ?  Dost  thou  not  wish  to  have  a  share 
in  the  conflict,  that  thou  mayest  have  a  share  in  the 
victory?  K  thou  hast  even  the  hottest  part  of 
the  battle,  wilt  thou  flinch  and  fly?  Thou  shalt 
have  the  brightest  part  of  the  victory,  if  thou  art  in 
the  fiercest  of  the  conflict.  Wilt  thou  turn  and  lose 
thy  laurels?  "Wilt  thou  throw  down  thy  sword? 
Shall  it  be  with  thee  as  when  a  standard-bearer  faint- 
eth  ?  JSTay,  man,  up  to  arms  again  !  for  the  victory 
is  certain.  Though  the  conflict  be  severe,  I  beseech 
you,  on  to  it  again  !  On,  on,  ye  lion-hearted  men  of 
God,  to  the  battle  once  more !  for  ye  shall  yet  be 
crowned  with  immortal  glory. 


INDEX. 


Absence  of  Christ,  330. 

Absolved  in  Christ,  316. 

Abundant  entrance,  200. 

Acceptable  worship,  286. 

Action  everything,  219. 

Admission  to  heaven,  164. 

Afraid  to  die,  247. 

Afflicted  always,  314. 

Afflictions  of  others,  313; — ^health- 
ful, 319,  320,  323. 

All-sufficiency  of  Christ,  202. 

Angels'  mission,  133. 

Amalgamate  with  Christ,  159. 

Ark,  the  danger  of  the,  235  ; — win- 
dows of,  257; — its  animals,  259  ; 
— rooms  of,  256  ;  —  stories, 
241. 

Artist's  aim,  161. 

Assemblies  of  the  saints,  346. 

Assurance,  26. 

Atonement,  the,  234. 

Backsliders,  35. 
Beauty  in  God,  36. 
Begin"  with  Christ,  238 
Believe  and  do,  120. 
Be  like  Christ,  143. 
Bended  heads.  169. 
Best  bridge,  347. 
Bible  and  ledger,  71 ; — all  gold, 
135 ;— finished,  61. 


Blessings,   345  ;  —  to  be  sought, 

26. 
Blood-stained  truth,  78. 
Boasting,  37. 
Borrowed  grace,  158. 
British  rule,  185. 

Cash  book,  240. 

Care  is  security,  288,  301. 

Careful  sinners,  94. 

Champions  of  truth,  108. 

Change,  194. 

Cheerfulness,  74. 

Cheating  and  cheated,  230. 

Children  learning  to  sin,  173. 

Child's  death-bed,  283. 

Christ  in  God,  252  ; — the  purifier, 
252  ; — church  of,  278  ; — in 
death,  280  ;— in  affliction,  281 ; 
— name  dear  297  ; — character 
varied,  298  ;— love,  300  ;— is 
mine,  302; — is  all,  304; — re- 
jected, 305  ; — our  brother,  315  ; 
— the  pillar,  333  ; — alone,  335  ; 
— our  all,  56  ; — our  bread,  30  ; 
always  yours,  190  ; — in  us,  177  ; 
— longing  for  the  cross,  203 ; 
— the  foundation,  295  ; — alone, 
348  ;— the  creator,  249  ;— a 
chariot,  83  ; — the  architect, 
289  ;  glory  infinite,  343  ;— the 

855 


356 


rCTOEX. 


same  183  ; — the  comforter, 
325  ; — alone,  329  ; — more  than 
all,  330  ;— the  shepherd,  267  ; 
Christ-like,  271  ; — sepulchre, 
168  ;— love  of,  302  ;— name 
dear,  296  ;— power,  67.' 

Christians  safe,  210  ; — active, 
329  ;— hatred,  140. 

Church  the  bride,  171  ; — reforma- 
tion of  the,  352. 

City  of  refuge,  102. 

Come  to  Christ's  grave,  142. 

Comfort  for  mourners,  57. 

Comforter,  the,  74. 

Coming  to  Christ,  211. 

Consecration  of  God,  294. 

Conscience,  212. 

Corpse  dressed  up,  59. 

Covenant,  the  141. 

Credulity,  116. 

Cross  of  Christ,  209. 

Crying  for  nothing,  338. 

Daily  communion,  346. 

Dead  men's  bones,  49. 

Deal  gently,  24. 

Death's  ravages,  17,  18. 

Death,    certain,     61  ; — struggles, 

97; — of  Christ,  125  ;  of  saints, 

152. 
Debt  of  love,  344. 
Delight  of  heaven,  316  ; — of  the 

saints,  312. 
Deliverance,  92. 
Demon  coming,  206. 
Denominational  truth,  291. 
Desire,  much,  342. 
Despise,  the  world,  36. 
Devil,  a  liar,  2,  38  ; — sticks  close, 

152; — with  horns,  25. 
Divine  dresses,  352, 
Doctrines,  38. 
Doubt  reproved,  130. 
Doubts,  subdued,  63. 
Dreams,  nothing,  220. 
Dreams  of  the  future,  76. 
Drowning,  man,  19. 
Dregs  of  the  cup,  223. 
Driven  to  Christ,  849. 


Dying  soon,  245 ;  —without  Christ, 
123. 

Each  act,  52. 
Eagle,  the.  111. 
Earthly  joys,  317. 
Ease  dangerous,  319. 
Ebenezers,  265. 
Elect  out  of  elect,  33. 
Enchanting  spots,  313. 
Enemies  of  God,  176. 
Enemy,  our,  116. 
Epitome  of  religion,  32. 
Evidences,  330. 
Eyes,  weak,  244. 
Excelsior,  161. 

Faith,  87  ; — in  promises,  262  ; — 
in  Christ,  340 ;— tried,  324;— 
self-denying,  276  ;— a  gift,  38. 

Fall,  universal,  212. 

Fear  of  sin,  298,  304 ; — danger 
and  advantage  of,  263  ; — not 
for  God,  289. 

Fearful  providences,  270,  272. 

Fellowship  with  Jesus,  104. 

Few  really  happy,  25. 

Fine  feathers,  13. 

Flogging  others,  135. 

Flowers  in  the  shade,  349 ; — by 
night,  348. 

Forces  of  world,  73. 

Four  Letters,  87. 

Free  Pass,  51. 

Friend  in  God,  98. 

Friendship,  true,  97. 

Fullness  of  heart,  341. 

Future  revelations,  119. 

Gentlemen  in  Church,  33. 

Give  up  all,  13. 

Glory  of  God,  183,  184;— to  be 
revealed,  19 ; — to  God  alone, 
271. 

God,  a  husbandman,  80 ; — afflicts, 
299  ;— and  not  Baal,  29  ; — 
everywhere,  277  ; — forbearing, 
264  ; — is  eternal,  37  ; — is  love, 
50 ; — in   the   church   245  ; — ^in 


INDEX. 


357 


Christ,  237  ; — ^lored  us  always, 
33  ; — must  help,  14  ; — revealed, 
79. 

God's  word  enough,  28  ; — good- 
ness, 188. 

God  slow  to  anger,  239. 

God's  enemies  crushed,  283. 

God  the  creator,  123  ; — works  by 
means,  274 ; — will  provide,  268 ; 
watches  for  repentance,  31. 

Good  are  truly  great,  273. 

Goodness  of  God,  10. 

Gospel  hated,  69  ; — its  path,  260 ; 
— rejected,  282  ; — sum  of  wis- 
dom, 66. 

Grace  is  strength,  303 ;  latent, 
318; — makes  us  differ,  129; — 
only,  88  ; — tried,  309. 

Gratitude,  292. 

Grave  of  Christ,  154. 

Great  guns,  214. 

Great  men,  169. 

Great  ransom,  198. 

Groans  and  cries,  100. 

Hanging  on  nothing,  91. 

Happy  spirits,  344. 

Hard  hearts,  56. 

Harmony,  universal,  279. 

Hating  to  believe,  249. 

Heart,  a  dry,  7  ; — a  pool,  100 ; — 

strength,  9. 
Heaven,   295,    110  ; — astonished, 

202. 
Help  thee,  231. 
Human  nature,  73. 
Human  reason,  41. 
Hypocrite,  the,  108. 

Icicle,  93. 

Idleness,  sin  of,  137. 
Imagination,  46. 
Imitate  Christ,  151. 
Impurity,  162. 
Indian  snares,  111. 
Inditference,  332. 
Individual  salvation,  27. 
Infinity  of  God,  16. 
Inner  chamber,  318. 


Intellectual  preachers,  312. 
Iron,  cold,  163. 

Jehovah  seen,  115. 

Jests  will  not  change  the  truth, 

57. 
Jesus,   knoweth   his,    34  ; — rose, 

147  ;— the  light,  80. 

Keep  Christ,  343. 
Keeping  the  heart,  331. 
Kindness,  165. 
Knowledge  is  wrath,  297. 

Last  song,  196. 

Law,  matter  of,  139. 

Learning  by  trouble,  89. 

Liar,  the,  218. 

Life  and  death,  15  ; — how  swift, 
124;— in  God,  35. 

Light  in  darkness,  252,  328  ; — 
necessary,  346. 

Little  and  great  things,  127; — 
ones  of  God,  269  ;  thrones,  35. 

Look  and  be  saved,  94. 

Loss  of  friends,  142. 

Lost  friends,  160. 

Love  begets  love,  310; — for  love, 
319,  320 ;— frmjjthe  fir^t,  187  ; 
—in  afiflictioTi,  323,  324,  325, 
326,  327,  328  ;— is  will,  293  ;— 
of  Christ,  114,  348  ;— of  Christ 
in  heaven,  180; — to  Christ, 
292,    294,    295,  316  ;— to    God 

■     alone,  341. 

Loving  sinners,  216  ; — yet  se- 
vere, 214. 

Mansions  prepared,  275. 
Man's  insignificance,  96. 
Many,  the,  107. 
Martyr,  64. 
Means  of  grace,  126". 
Meeting  saints  in  glory,  32. 
Melody  of  the  cross,  321. 
Men  of  heaven,  163. 
Men's  works,  39. 
Mental  power,  172. 
Moderation  in  sin,  95. 


358 


INDEX. 


Moses'  prospect,  201. 
Mummies,  100. 
Murmurs  forbidden,  3Y. 

Nature's  voice,  63,  258. 

Nearness  to  Christ,  311. 

Never  doubt,  158. 

Night  after  day,  239. 

No  help  but  Christ,  233 ; — hope 
in  hell,  1*74; — light  for  back- 
sliders, 349  ; — loss,  86 ; — seeker 
lost,  248. 

Nothing  but  Christ,  317. 

Old  sinner,  68,  198  ; — ^times,  68  ; 

truth,  58. 
Omnipotence,  322. 
Our  advocate,  69. 
One  door  only,  236. 
Ones  do  the  work,  197. 
Opening  old  window,  252. 
Outside  appearances,  78. 

Painted  window,  205. 

Paul's  preaching,  167. 

Palace  of  heaven,  106. 

Peace    and   joy,   38 ; — after   the 

battle,  279  ;— pf  God,  333,  334, 

335,  336,  338,  "3?9  ;— in  religion, 

76; — with    God,    224; — reign- 

eth,  287. 
Peace-makers  blessed,  282. 
Perfect  obedience,  90. 
Person  of  Jesus,  315. 
Peter  and  Mary,  157. 
Philosophers,  192. 
Pilgrim's  progress,  85. 
Place  of  Prayer,  89. 
Please  God,  328. 
Pleasing  God,  162. 
Poor     Christian,     31 ;— comfort, 

65. 
Power   of    Bible,    98  ; — of  love, 

47  ; — of  the    weak,    311  ; 

strained,  247. 
Praise  eternal,  314,  290. 
Praises  of  Christ,  101. 
Prayer  and  salvation,  213  ; 


-re- 


ef- 


fect of,  10,  9 ; — noted  in 
heaven,  34 ;  keep  giving,  131. 

Preacher,  Christ  a,  75. 

Presumption,  128. 

Pride,  12,  13. 

Profession,  99. 

Promises,  great,  214. 

Proofs  of  God,  260. 

Prophets  speaking,  84. 

Prove  me  now,  250. 

Providence,  124. 

Pulpit,  the,  350; — looking  from 
the,  353. 

Pulse  beating  a  march,  103. 

Quench  not  the  Spirit,  296. 

Regeneration,  148. 
Reservoir,  the  great,  11. 
Rest,  coming,  166. 
Resurrection,  50. 
Revivals,  got  up,  257. 
Rich  offerings,  348. 
River  of  God,  24. 
Rod  and  Sword,  132. 
Roman  Catholics,  157. 
Rose  of  Sharon,  315. 

Saint  at  sea,  81 ; — dying,  150. 

Saints  in  light,  95 ; — proofs  of 
God,  266. 

Salvation,  105  ; — one  for  all,  225. 

Samaritan,  the,  232. 

Sanctification,  48. 

Safe  in  heaven,  70. 

Satan  against  Jesus,  21  ; — a  fow- 
ler, 137  ; — a  vaunt,  228. 

Satan's  dominion,  138. 

Saviour's  glory  softened,  246. 

Science  of  Christ,  72. 

Seaside  thought,  64. 

Seeking  shall  find,  28. 

Self  and  Sin,  93. 

Self-condemned,  253. 

Self-examination,  short,  263. 

Selfishness,  285. 

Self-knowledge,  96. 

Self-love,  8. 


INDEX. 


359 


Self-righteougness,  128. 

Sermons,  hearing,  118. 

Serpents,  where,  122. 

Severe  yet  loving,  214. 

Shadows  of  mercies,  9. 

Sheep,  52; — the  nature  of,  221. 

Shepherd,  the,  241. 

Ship  at  sea,  200. 

Showers  of  grace,  322; — of  mer- 
cy, 45. 

Simeon's  joy,  53 

Sin  and  the  Spirit,  40 ; — and  Sa- 
viour, 253. 

Sincerity  in  love,  311. 

Sinner  addressed,  206; — condemn- 
ed, 290; — in  heaven,  159; — 
take  heart  153; — without  the 
Spirit,  43  ; — inability  of,  211. 

Sins,  not  persons,  25. 

Slaves  of  sin,  175. 

Sleep  on,  206. 

Sleeper,  the,  136. 

Sleepy  Christian,  175. 

Smile  always,  55. 

Snails  in  the  ark,  34. 

Soldiers,  true,  215. 

Solitude,  44. 

Solon's  saying,  75. 

Song  of  Moses,  181,  193. 

Souls  going  to  hell,  172. 

Soul  at  peace,  204. 

Source  of  strength,  7. 

Sowing  and  reaping,  179. 

Speaking  to  Christ,  99. 

Spider  on  the  wall,  11. 

Spirit  humbles,  226  ; — quickens, 
27. 

Spiritual  mercies,  269. 

Spiritual  workman,  60. 

Stain  none  on  Christ,  98. 

Stars  a  treadvvheel,  36  ; — at  night, 
847  ;— in  winter,  323. 

Still  as  a  stone,  201. 

Sting  drawn,  121. 

Streams  and  lake,  12. 

Strength  of  the  weak,  345. 

Sufferings  of  Christ,  115. 

Swordsman,  153. 


Swan,  the  fable,  117. 

Taste  of  medicine,  42. 

Tears,  191. 

Telescope,  obscured,  77. 

Temper,  your,  72. 

Tender  in  the  heart,  131. 

Theology,  perfect,  49. 

Thief  on  the  cross,  149. 

Thinking  of  Christ,  99. 

Think  on  Christ,  51. 

Time  no  longer,  170. 

Titles  for  Sabbath-school  teachers, 

286. 
Treasure,  safe,  189. 
Tried  saints,  305,  308,  309,  327. 
Trinity,  the,  71. 
Trust  God,  and  go  on,  140. 
Trusting  in  Christ,  168. 
Trust  much,  347. 
Truth  and  a  lie,  155. 
Troubles,  a  good  sign,  56 ; — to  be 

cast  away,  74. 
Two  opinions,  119. 
Two  lights,  77. 

Unfaithful  preacher,  284. 

Unity  of  Christ  and  the  saints,  298. 

Yale  of  tears,  318,  321,  322. 
Value  of  soul,  174. 
Victory,  certain,  354. 
Virtues  in  man,  52. 
Vitality  of  gospel,  255. 
Voice  in  love,  60. 
Voice  of  prayer,  331. 
Voltaire's  twilight,  144. 

Wait  on  God,  88. 
Warning  in  time,  42. 
Warnings,  112. 
Water  from  wells,  320,  321. 
Weaning,  329. 
Weeping,  nothing,  219. 
Weepers,  195. 
Welcome  Christ,  337. 
Wicked  condemned,  254,  261. 
Will  of  God,  327. 


360 


INDEX, 


Wisdom,  62. 

Wisdom  teaches  folly,  268. 

Wondering,  217. 

Word  of  God,  14 ;— its  home,  164. 

Works  of  art,  2()8  ; — no  help,  12  ; 

no  salvation,  156. 
World  hates  the  Church,  182; — 


revolution,  82 ; — to  be  cleansed, 

29. 
Wrath,  praising,  229 ; — preached, 

204. 
Wrestling,  TO. 

Young  man,  68. 


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DOMESTIC    SLAVERY    CONSIDERED    AS    A 
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words,  to  see  men  like  those  wlio'ie  names  are  at  tlie  ht'a<l  of  this  j)iece,  write  in  a  lone  so 
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I 


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her  husband  ;  and  this  is  done  so  as  to  preserve  nnfailins  freshness  in  the  narrative,  and 
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"Earely  have  we  read  a  more  beautiful  sketch  of  female  loveliness,  devoted  piety,  mis- 
sionary zeal,  fortitude,  sacrifice,  and  success,  tlian  is  heie  drawn  by  a  pen  that  is  well 
known  to  the  reading  world.  We  trust  its  wide  perusal  will  awaken  the  mission  spirit 
in  the  hearts  of  thousands." — New  York  Observer. 

THE   JUDSON    OFFERING. 

Intended  as  a  Token  of  Christian  Sympathy  with  the  Living,  and  a  Memento 

of  Christian  Affection  for  the  Dead. 

By  Rev.  John  Dowlino,  D.  D.,  Author  of  "  History  of  Romanism,"  etc. 

Twentieth  edition.     18mo.     60  cents. 

LIFE    OF    SPENCER    H    CONE,    D.D, 

With   a   fine   Steel    Plate   Portrait. 
1  vol.,  12 mo.     Price  Si  25. 
"  Ameiica  has  produced  but  few  so  popular  preachers;  his  personal  interest  was  un- 
bounded ;  he  was  indeed  a  man  of  talent,  of  large  attainment  in  the  school  of  Christ,  a 
brilliant  preacher,  a  noblo-hearted,  zealous  Christian  philanthropist."— (T^m^ion.  Chron- 
icle FhUadelphia. 


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